Author Archives: Tom Barczak

AFC719-29_VirgTech_Synopsis

By Tom BarczakJune 11, 2018Grants, Health and Safety Interventions, Monitoring Systems

PoroSense: An Intrinsically Safe, Distributed Fiber-optic Gas Sensing Platform for Underground Mines Virginia Tech (Grant number AFC719-29)

AFC719-57_RebuildingFuture_Synopsis

By Tom BarczakJune 11, 2018Grants, Health and Safety Interventions, Mine Escape, Rescue and Training, Shelter

Investigation of Improved Communication from Portable Refuge Alternatives to Facilitate Mine Escape and Rescue Rebuilding Their Future Foundation (Grant number AFC719-57)

AFC719-27_PennState_Synopsis

By Tom BarczakJune 11, 2018Grants, Health and Safety Interventions, Monitoring Systems

Control of Hazardous Gas Emissions to Longwall Face and Bleeder System: Laboratory Experiments, Modeling and Field Monitoring Penn State University (Grant number AFC719-27)

AFC719-12_Pacific_Synopsis

By Tom BarczakJune 11, 2018Grants, Injury and Disease Exposure and Risk Factors, Respiratory Disease

Asthma-and COPD-Associated Inflammasome Activation Induced by Rock Dust University of the Pacific (Grant number AFC719-12)

AFC719-14_NewMexico_Synopsis

By Tom BarczakJune 11, 2018Grants, Injury and Disease Exposure and Risk Factors, Respiratory Disease

Evaluating a Virtual ‘Community of Practice’ in Pneumoconiosis Mortality Hotspots in the United States University of New Mexico (Grant number AFC719-14)

AFC719-31_MS&T_Synopsis

By Tom BarczakJune 11, 2018Fire and Explosion Prevention, Grants, Health and Safety Interventions

Analysis of Coal Mine Seal Integrity from Explosively Driven Projectiles Missouri University of Science & Technology (Grant number AFC719-31)

AFC719-35_MichiganState_Synopsis

By Tom BarczakJune 11, 2018Grants, Injury and Disease Exposure and Risk Factors, Respiratory Disease

Evaluation of Silicosis, Asthma and COPD among Sand and Gravel and Stone Surface Miners Michigan State University (Grant Number AFC719-35)

AFC719-20_Michigan_Synopsis

By Tom BarczakJune 11, 2018Grants, Hearing Loss, Injury and Disease Exposure and Risk Factors

Assessing Noise Exposures, Hearing, and Risk of Injuries Among Miners University of Michigan (Grant Number AFC719-20)

AFC719-49_Kentucky_Synopsis

By Tom BarczakJune 11, 2018Grants, Ground Control, Health and Safety Interventions

Fundamental Investigation into Pillar Design and Global Stability by Integrating Pillar Load and Opening Convergence Response University of Kentucky (Grant Number AFC719-49)

AFC719-34_Indiana_Synopsis

By Tom BarczakJune 11, 2018Grants, Injury and Disease Exposure and Risk Factors, Musculoskeletal Disorders

Identifying and Assessing Risks Factors Associated with Musculoskeletal Disorders within Stone and Sand and Gravel Mining Operations Indiana University (Grant Number AFC719-34)

AFC719-67_CSM_Synopsis

By Tom BarczakJune 11, 2018Grants, Ground Control, Health and Safety Interventions

Numerical Modeling of Overburden and Pillar Mechanics for Determination of Global Ground Stability in Underground Coal Mines Colorado School of Mines (Grant Number AFC719-67)

AFC719_MontanaTech_ARMA_2018-1211_Becker

By Tom BarczakMay 15, 2018Health and Safety Interventions, Monitoring Systems, Other Publications

Digital Photogrammetry Software Comparison for Rock Mass Characterization 52nd US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, 17-20 June 2018 Becker, R.E., Galayda, L.J., MacLaughlin, M.M.

AFC518-67_MontanaTech_ARMA_2018-508_Turner

By Tom BarczakMay 15, 2018Health and Safety Interventions, Monitoring Systems, Other Publications

Geotechnical Characterization of Underground Mine Excavations from UAV-Captured Photogrammetric & Thermal Imagery 52nd US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, 17-20 June 2018 Turner, R.M., Bhagwat, N.P., Galayda, L.J., Knoll, C.S., Russell, E.A., MacLaughlin, M.M.

AFC518_67_MontanaTech_ARMA_2018_516_Russell

By Tom BarczakMay 15, 2018Health and Safety Interventions, Monitoring Systems, Other Publications

UAV-based Geotechnical Modeling and Mapping of an Inaccessible Underground Site 52nd US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, 17-20 June 2018 Russell, E.A., MacLaughlin, M.M., Turner, R.M.

AFC113-3_Northeastern_2018_AppliedErgonomics

By Tom BarczakMay 15, 2018Injury and Disease Exposure and Risk Factors, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Other Publications

Evaluation of commercially available seat suspensions to reduce whole body vibration exposures in mining heavy equipment vehicle operators Published in Applied Ergonomics, 2018 Kim H. K., Marin L.S., Dennerlein J.T.

Maryland_Spotlight_ExplosionModeling

By Tom BarczakMay 15, 2018General Spotlights

University of Maryland computational explosion modeling finds that rock debris in coal mines can be conducive to detonation explosions View Final Report

VT_Spotlight_TTECommunication – SJ

By Tom BarczakMarch 10, 2018General Spotlights

Virginia Tech researchers find that rail and roof mesh can significantly extend transmission range of Magnetic Communication Systems (MCS). View Final Report

VirgTech_SpotlightArticle_DustParticles_EAS

By Tom BarczakMarch 10, 2018General Spotlights

Virginia Tech researchers find high fractions of non-coal particles in respirable dust samples. View Final Report

NorthEastern_Spotlight_EquipVibrations

By Tom BarczakMarch 10, 2018General Spotlights

Northeastern University researchers find that heavy surface mine equipment operators are likely to exceed ISO daily vibration limits when operating equipment for a full (8-hr shift). View Final Report

Kentucky_Spotlight_LongwallScrubber

By Tom BarczakMarch 10, 2018General Spotlights

Longwall shearer scrubber reduces dust concentrations in face walkway by 74 pct and with 56 pct less dust leaving the longwall face. View Final Report

CSM_Spotlight_GobExplosion-GEB-modified

By Tom BarczakMarch 10, 2018General Spotlights

Colorado School of Mines constructs test facility and studies flame propagation through rock rubble to investigate explosive behavior in longwall gobs. View Final Report

Berkeley_Spotlight_HeartDisease

By Tom BarczakMarch 10, 2018General Spotlights

University of California Berkeley study finds that failure to consider the healthy worker survivor bias can lead to highly misleading conclusions  when analyzing the health impacts of hazardous exposures. View Final Report

AFC113-11_Pittsburgh_FinalRpt_Approved

By Tom BarczakDecember 13, 2017Final Reports, Injury and Disease Exposure and Risk Factors, Respiratory Disease

Connecting Dust Characteristics and Worker Health in Underground Coal Mining 1st Solicitation for Single Investigator Research Grants (AFC113) University of Pittsburgh (Grant number AFC113-11)

AFC215-41_MUST_FinalRpt_Approved

By Tom BarczakNovember 22, 2017Final Reports, Fire and Explosion Prevention, Health and Safety Interventions, Uncategorized

Management with Bag Barriers of Dust Explosion Risks in Underground Coal Mines 2nd Solicitation for Single Investigator Research Grants Missouri University of Science and Technology (Grant AFC215-41)

AFC215-20_Maryland_FinalRpt_Approved

By Tom BarczakNovember 22, 2017Final Reports, Fire and Explosion Prevention, Health and Safety Interventions

Numerical Tools for Mitigation of Methane Explosions in Coal Mines 2nd Solicitation for Single Investigator Research Grants University of Maryland (Grant AFC215-20) Computational videos relevant to Final Report: 1) Interconnected channels, 2) 0.5-1.5 half channel, 3) 300 m reflected channel.