Quarry Mar 2020

Caterpillar reveals its latest innovations in electric drive wheel loaders and artic trucks

EARTHMOVING GEAR RAISES LOCAL PRIDE How Walker Quarries - and Komatsu - brought pride and success to a central NSW town

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OEM UNVEILS ELECTRIC DRIVE INNOVATIONS

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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF QUARRYING AUSTRALIA

MARCH 2020

FRANK PEDRITTI: SIMPLE IDEAS WITH BIG IMPACT A 30-year-plus quarry veteran is the deserved recipient of one of the IQA’s highest honours

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IN THIS ISSUE MARCH 2020

VOLUME 28, ISSUE 03

FEATURES 24 GOING BLUE FOR MENTAL HEALTH A national plant dealer and rental service have formed a partnership in support of mental health awareness.

26 CO-PILOT PROGRAM SHORES UP SAFETY An intelligent interactive display is offering real time insight into work performed by earthmoving machines.

27 A SENSOR SOLUTION FOR PROCESS CONTROL

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ELECTRIC DRIVE GEAR OEM unveils its latest innovations in electric drive loaders and artic trucks.

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LOCAL SUCCESS, PRIDE How Walker Quarries brought pride and productivity to a central New South Wales town.

Why the industry is now a step closer to the ideal of an all-round radar level measuring device for bulk solids.

28 PUGMILL’S POTENTIAL TO EXPAND REVENUE STREAM Why there are signs pugmills are opening the door for quarries to diversify into cement and asphalt.

34 SPOTLIGHT ON DIGITALISATION Why quarrying companies are at risk of losses if they fail to embrace the digitalisation of the sector.

35 INAUGURAL BULK2020 CONNECTS INDUSTRIES

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COLLEGIAL EDUCATION IQA CEO Kylie Fahey says the Institute is better equipped to assist industry training.

MARCH 2020

OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF QUARRYING AUSTRALIA

EARTHMOVING GEAR RAISES LOCAL PRIDE How Walker Quarries - and Komatsu - brought pride and success to a central NSW town

35

22

16

QUARRY

Caterpillar reveals its latest innovations in electric drive wheel loaders and artic trucks

FRANK PEDRITTI A quarry veteran is the deserved recipient of one of the IQA’s highest honours.

MARCH 2020

www.quarrymagazine.com

OEM UNVEILS ELECTRIC DRIVE INNOVATIONS

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An Australian bulk handling event will highlight innovations in the future of dust control, safety, screening and crushing.

FRANK PEDRITTI: SIMPLE IDEAS WITH BIG IMPACT A 30-year-plus quarry veteran is the deserved recipient of one of the IQA’s highest honours

ON THE COVER: The excavator-mounted CPA rock drill attachment aims to match or exceed the production rate of conventional drill rigs. For more information, turn to page 14 or visit https:// mining.komatsu/

EVERY MONTH 04 FROM THE EDITOR

42 IQA CALENDAR

06 FROM THE PRESIDENT

44 IQA NEWS

08 NEWS THIS MONTH

News from Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia

14 PRODUCT FOCUS

50 GEOLOGY TALK Cosmic secrets to dust handling

Quarry March 2020 3

EDITORIAL

EDUCATION: A KEY TO PERSONAL GROWTH

M

y five-year old daughter Talia has in the past month started primary school. While this is quite a watershed time in her life – entering a more formalised, structured and regimented atmosphere of learning – her education (both formal and informal) stretches back several years to pre-school. Without interaction outside her family life and informal learning in her formative years, it is doubtful Talia would have the fluent vocabulary – and indeed the confidence – to take these next steps in her development.

And that’s the beauty about education – it isn’t just about learning and knowledge, it’s also about growth as individuals. We’re always striving to improve and to be the best we can be – so that we can continue to advance professionally and improve our knowledge, lifestyles, health and well-being.

Quarrying might seem to the outsider (or even some long-term insiders) remote from learning. After all, as someone might ignorantly argue, what more can one learn from transforming big rocks into little rocks? However, as IQA CEO Kylie Fahey notes (see page 30), changes in society occur rapidly – and can impact even on supposedly staid quarters like the regulatory and quarrying spheres. For as snail-like as both sectors can seem, they are not immune to change – whether it be incremental, or swift and unexpected.

Kylie says the regulatory environment in Australia has changed remarkably quickly since late last year – and that’s not even six months ago. It is not just quarrying professionals but their organisations that are at risk of being out of step with new mine safety regulations, dust exposure standards, competency requirements and education commitments across a range of jurisdictions. Never before has

education seemed more crucial than now – there is a clear and present need for IQA members and quarries at large to engage in structured and informal learning to not only satisfy compliance but also be aware of the regulatory changes occurring around them.

The IQA is being proactive in tailoring its curricula and programs to address members’ needs – from covering sometimes routine, daily quarrying challenges to addressing the shifting regulatory sands. But what IQA members should most appreciate is that the Institute is through its collegial programs providing scope for them to grow as professionals. The IQA delivers in spades on its collegial programs – as you’ll see from the accounts in the Institute’s regular news section (page 44). Certainly, as a member of another professional association myself, I don’t take enough advantage of its services and networking – yet I still pay the equivalent of an annual fee!

Nor should anyone ever think there isn’t a continuing need for learning. As Frank Pedritti’s story shows (page 35), there are always more opportunities to keep on learning. Indeed, Frank’s talent, skills and knowledge might well have been lost to the industry if he hadn’t been coaxed out of taking an early retirement. It shows that you’re never young, never too old, never too experienced to learn and grow. It’s a matter of having an open mind and thinking about how you can improve and grow yourself and your role in the workplace.

That’s certainly the outlook I want to instill in my daughter as she takes these early steps in her schooling and her life at large.

Published by:

YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD,TOO YOUNG OR TOO EXPERIENCED TO LEARN AND GROW.

11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 T: 03 9690 8766 www.primecreativemedia.com.au Publisher John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

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Quarry March 2020

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

EDUCATION A DRIVER FOR LONGTERM ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS The Institute of Quarrying

T

he horrendous fires that have been burning throughout Australia over many months have been absolutely tragic in terms of the loss of life, homes, buildings, farm infrastructure, agriculture equipment and of course the significant impact on our precious flora, fauna and native animals. On behalf of the IQA, I extend our prayers and thoughts for any of our members who have been affected directly or indirectly by these fires.

I am aware of many people within my own company, and I am sure that this is the case for the quarrying industry, where our people have been directly fighting these fires or helping support those that are. We thank you for your tireless efforts and recognise the significant contribution you have made to help protect people, their homes, their communities and the animals.

It leads me to think about what we can do in terms of the IQA supporting our members. To know what to do and what will make the most beneficial impact, you have to be informed and in most cases be educated on what causes the situation in the first place and then what are the various options available including the pros and cons.

Like the issue of dust management, especially respirable crystalline silica (RCS), the IQA will investigate related topics that would benefit our members, our industry pledge partners and the quarrying industry.

Water management is one of these vital areas, eg how we collect and store water on our sites, how to use the water efficiently and effectively, how to recycle water for additional uses, determining the water mass balance on site so that plans can be implemented to ensure sufficient water is available, etc.

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Quarry March 2020

Australia

Other areas include the use of electricity and how to be more efficient, therefore reducing costs and carbon emissions, and how we use our buffer lands to ensure the appropriate vegetation is maintained to encourage indigenous flora and fauna.

These are just a few related areas that we will consider to review what has been offered in the past and what we can do to add to these educational programs to make them relevant and help our members make better decisions that will improve the environment for all.

Education is the key to future success.

Being a member will allow access to these types of programs.

We can all make a difference through being appropriately educated. If you have any thoughts or ideas about what we should be doing to support IQA members with this type of education, please email admin@quarry.com.au The IQA board has just completed the first steps in reviewing the strategic plan which will be developed over the next few months and communicated through the branches and at the AGM. It is vital that we clearly understand where we are at, the challenges that face our great Institute and make transformative change in order to remain the leading quarrying educational provider for the professional development of its members and the industry. Again, if you have anything you would like to contribute don’t hesitate to contact me or Kylie Fahey at the email address above.

SHANE BRADDY President Institute of Quarrying Australia

Educating and connecting our extractive industry

quarry.com.au EDUCATION WILL BE THE DRIVER BEHIND FINDING LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT.

The Institute of Quarrying Australia’s goals are: 1. To provide world class professional development for the extractive industries.

2. To establish an Australasian Academy of Quarrying.

3. To align service offerings with industry needs.

IQA CONTACTS: Chief Executive Officer Kylie Fahey PO Box 1779 Milton BC QLD 4064 Phone: 0477 444 328 ceo@quarry.com.au Company Secretary Rod Lester Phone: 0408 121 788 rgl@rlester.com.au Finance Officer Gemma Thursfield Phone: 0402 431 090 gemma@quarry.com.au General, membership and financial inquiries should be directed to admin@quarry.com.au or phone 02 9484 0577.

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NEWS

COMPETITION WATCHDOG CLEARS BARROADELAIDE BRIGHTON ACQUISITION ‘BARRO’S STAKE IN ADELAIDE BRIGHTON WON’T LESSEN COMPETITION’ ACCC COMMISSIONER STEPHEN RIDGEWAY

smaller independent companies would also continue to provide competition.

“On the basis of the information we have available to us, Barro’s stake in Adelaide Brighton will not substantially lessen competition,” ACCC Commissioner Stephen Ridgeway said.

“Major rival cement, aggregates and pre-mixed concrete suppliers will continue to provide competition.”

The ACCC may reopen its investigation if it receives further information that alters its current conclusions.

The ACCC has cleared Barro Group’s 43 per cent stake in Adelaide Brighton.

The ACCC has concluded an investigation into Barro Group’s acquisition of a 43 per cent stake in Adelaide Brighton after examining its impact on Australia’s cement, concrete and aggregates markets.

In October, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced it would assess a 43 per cent stake Barro Group (and its related entities) had acquired in ASX-listed Adelaide Brighton through a series of share purchases.

According to the ACCC, it was keen to investigate the completed acquisition because the two vertically integrated companies have overlap in

the market for the supply of cement, pre-mixed concrete and aggregates.

The investigation focused on the competition impacts on the pre-mixed concrete and aggregates markets in Melbourne, Brisbane and Townsville, where Barro and Adelaide Brighton’s operations overlap.

Barro also did not seek informal merger clearance from the ACCC prior to acquiring the stake in Adelaide Brighton.

The ACCC found Barro and Adelaide Brighton will continue to face competition from Boral, Holcim and Hanson, which are all three large vertically integrated competitors with national operations. A number of

Barro Group is a family-owned construction materials supplier and distributor with operations in Victoria and Queensland. Its operations include the supply of pre-mixed concrete, quarry materials, cement, builders’ supplies, concrete roof tiles and concrete precast panels. Barro Group’s main pre-mixed concrete brand in Victoria is the “Pronto” brand.

Adelaide Brighton is an ASX-listed manufacturer and supplier of a range of products to the building, construction, infrastructure and mineral processing markets across Australia. Adelaide Brighton’s operations include the supply of clinker, cement, industrial lime, pre-mixed concrete, quarry materials, cement and concrete products.

Adelaide Brighton supplies the “Hytec” pre-mixed concrete brand. •

CONTRACTOR CLOSES IN ON $20M LIMESTONE PROJECT Services contractor MACA is close to securing a $20 million contract with First Quantum Minerals to process limestone at the Tamarine Quarry in Western Australia.

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limestone within the resource is 12 metres.

Under the contract, MACA would mine, crush and screen limestone over a threeyear period. The material will service First Quantum’s Ravensthorpe nickel processing plant, located 20km away, for pH control purposes.

The local community and First Quantum Minerals are keen to explore the postextractive land use of the 28ha site. The intended rehabilitation strategy, first mooted in 2016, is to spread available topsoil or caprock over the area, batter upper pit walls for safe access, reinstate drainage and return the land to a condition that is suitable for farmland pasture.

A satellite map of First Quantum Minerals’ Tamarine Quarry.

The Tamarine Quarry’s deposit consists of fossiliferous limestone. Calcrete development within the limestone is generally limited to the top few metres of the profile. The average thickness of

First Quantum sent a letter of intent to MACA and, deal pending, was expecting work to commence at Tamarine Quarry from February, using its existing crushing equipment.

The news comes after MACA terminated its contract with OZ Minerals subsidiary AVB Mineracao for the Antas copper project in Brazil. •

Quarry March 2020

QUARRY SEEKS TO INCREASE OUTPUT FOR MAJOR RAIL PROJECT A quarry in north-east New South Wales wants to temporarily increase production by 40 per cent to supply the largest project within the $9.3 billion Inland Rail program.

Mackellar Excavations and Gunnedah Quarry Products, which operates the Marys Mount Quarry near Gunnedah, have applied to modify their development consent to allow for the extraction of an additional 151,000 tonnes per year.

If approved by the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel, the quarry, which is a source of high quality basalt rock, would be permitted to change its extraction rate from its already approved 360,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) to 511,000 tpa.

According to a Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) report, prepared by Outline Planning Consultants, the primary reason for the planning change is to supply material for the Narromine to Narrabri (N2N) project, one of 13 within the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC)’s Inland Rail program.

The operators are also seeking to change the mix of truck traffic by using larger quarry haulage vehicles than set down in the consent. This would support an increase in quarry production without a rise in overall quarry truck movements.

“Importantly, the proposed increase in the approved annual extraction rate will be a temporary measure only, in order to service a major regional infrastructure project,” the SEE said.

“Production at the quarry will then revert back to a maximum of 360,000 [tpa] and back to the mix of quarry trucks currently permitted once the ARTC/N2N ... project is completed.”

If given the green light, the quarry footprint would remain the same and there would be no changes to quarrying methods, employment, staging, number of blasts or operating hours. It also will not alter the nature of noise-generating activities such as the crushing of rock or blasting.

The modification application will be on exhibition until 27 January.

Marys Mount Quarry has a history of providing material for the coal mining industry and is a hard rock

BORAL FODDER PLANTATIONS FEED BUSHFIRE-STRICKEN KOALAS Fodder plantations at Boral quarries have provided a crucial food source for koalas left injured and relocated after the disastrous drought and bushfire season.

The current active quarry pit at Gunnedah Quarry Products’ Marys Mount Quarry.

source for subdivisions, road building and rail projects.

The quarry products supplied from the quarry have a wide range of applications including road base, high quality aggregates (5mm to 20mm) and aggregates used for surfacing of roads, asphalt, concrete, landscaping and road construction.

Its previous work with the ARTC includes supplying plant, equipment and construction aggregates for the reconstruction of the railway bridge at Boggabri after a coal train derailment, a rail shutdown at Narrabri and remediation works at various locations.

MacKellar Excavations and Gunnedah Quarry Products employs 25 staff from the local Gunnedah community and is continuously developing further projects allowing for company expansion and extended employment opportunities. The workforce does not include truck drivers, suppliers and other subcontractors periodically engaged by the quarry, eg blasting contractors.

The 300km Narromine to Narrabri rail installation is the largest component of the 1700km Inland Rail network.

The company’s Petrie Quarry and Narangba Quarry, in the Moreton Bay Region, north of Brisbane, have been long-term suppliers of koala fodder to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, which has treated wildlife injured by the crises.

Boral established its first plantation at Petrie in 2002 followed by the Narangba plantation on quarry buffer land in 2008. Together they comprised 3000 food trees.

Later in 2011, a new, larger koala fodder plantation was established at the Petrie site, with more than 2500 trees. This allowed the existing, smaller plantation at Petrie to be phased out and become part of a plan to restore natural koala habitat within the quarry buffer land.

A Boral spokesperson added: “Apart from providing fodder to injured or orphaned koalas housed at the zoo, Boral quarry staff and landscape contractors have noted that since the extensive planting and weed clearing on site, more koala movements were recorded, as it is now easier for them to move around the area.” •

The new track is designed to reduce transit times and complete one of the missing freight rail links between Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane.

Inland Rail is the largest freight rail infrastructure project in Australia and considered one of the world’s most significant infrastructure projects.

The Australian Government awarded ARTC, a statutory corporation body, the contract to deliver Inland Rail, in partnership with the private sector, and has committed $9.3 billion to the delivery of Inland Rail. •

Injured and relocated koalas have benefitted from fodder gown from two plantations at Boral quarries.

Quarry March 2020 9

NEWS

EXTRA INSPECTORS TO OVERSEE REGIONAL QUEENSLAND OPERATORS Four new minerals and quarry inspectors have been recruited in Queensland as the state government forges ahead with its health and safety reform agenda.

Mark Ryan, the Acting Mines Minister in the Queensland Government, said the new appointees will be located at several regional centres across the state to protect workers.

The appointment takes the state’s total number of inspectors for coal and metalliferous mines and quarries to 46.

He said the four inspectors arrive with strong mining engineer credentials, including a combined 122 years of mining experience between them. They began their roles in Rockhampton, Mackay and Mount Isa in late January and early February.

“The safety and the health of our 70,000 resource workers is paramount and our mine inspectors need to be close to where the mines are,” Ryan said.

“Two out of three of our inspectors are in regional Queensland because that’s where most of the mines are.

“Our resources industry is worldclass and this demands strong, contemporary skills from our inspectors to work with industry and workers to enhance safety.”

Ryan said the newcomers joined a team of mines inspectors that serviced mines and quarries from Cape York in Far North Queensland to the south-east corner and west to the Northern Territory border.

“Having most of our inspectors in the regions gives workers and the industry more efficient access to our inspectors and more inspectors to help keep our mine and quarry xxx works safe,” he said. •

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Quarry March 2020

BRISBANE COUNCIL RESISTS CALLS TO CLOSE METRO SITE ‘THE GREENS’ PLAN ISN’T VERY GREEN AT ALL’ BCC COUNCILLOR VICKI HOWARD

The Brisbane City Council has “no intention” of closing its century-old Mt Coot-tha Quarry, despite pressure from the Queensland Greens Party.

The State MP for Maiwar Michael Berkman has joined three Green council candidates calling on the local authority to close the quarry by 2025 and deliver a closure and rehabilitation plan by the end of 2020.

The quarry has been operated by the Brisbane City Council (BCC) since 1926 and is a significant state resource. More than 96 per cent of roads in Brisbane are built with asphalt aggregates from the quarry.

Donna Burns, the Greens candidate for Paddington, said the quarry has great “potential to be a world class, beautiful, environmentally sensitive addition to the Mt Coot-tha public parklands.

“Despite enormous community support for closing the quarry, Brisbane City Council is refusing to act. They’ve continually pushed the closure date further and further out 1998, 2025, 2032 - without any public consultation.”

The Queensland Greens have outlined their vision for the Mt Coot-tha Quarry.

Burns said the council’s neighbourhood plan for Mt Coottha includes a closing date of 2025, but the lord mayor Adrian Schrinner confirmed there is no intention of this.

BCC field services chairwoman and councillor Vicki Howard told Quarry the Greens’ plan “isn’t very green at all”.

“Closing the Mt Coot-tha Quarry would mean semi-trailers need to travel further, using hundreds of thousands more litres of diesel, which is at least four times more carbon emissions,” she said.

“We have no intention of closing the quarry in the near future as the quarry has not reached its end of life.” •

COUNCIL REVISES QUARRY REHAB TO PACIFY COMMUNITY CONCERNS The Hornsby Shire Council has altered its parklands rehabilitation plan for an inactive quarry in a bid to save more tree life and preserve dramatic cliff faces left behind by the eight-decade operation.

The local authority has responded to 46 submissions about its proposed $25 million rehabilitation project for the Hornsby Quarry, located on the upper north shore of Sydney.

It comes after the completion of the first stage of remedial works when more than one million cubic metres of clean fill was tipped into the quarry.

The council has lodged a development application with an environmental impact statement for the next stage of works to re-shape and stabilise the site. It aims to deliver a safe landform that can be used for various parkland activities.

Local authorities are on track to complete the first stage of the Hornsby Quarry parklands rehabilitation by 2023.

The key revisions of the plan also include a shorter construction timeframe, down to 21 months.

“Importantly, we are still on track to deliver the first stage of the parkland creation in 2023, turning the local landmark into a spectacular new open space for the community to enjoy,” a spokesperson said. •

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NEWS

FULTON HOGAN SUPPORTS DRIVER TRAINING PROGRAM A construction materials producer has upgraded an abandoned road network to help young people obtain their driver’s licences.

Fulton Hogan has undertaken repairs to create a specialist driver training course within Christchurch’s “red zone” in the New Zealand South Island city’s east, which has been neglected since the 2011 earthquakes.

As well as road repairs, the company applied road-markings and added signposts at no cost.

Fulton Hogan strategic communications advisor Andy Allison said the company is always keen to increase road safety.

“One of the key contributing factors to poor driving is a subset of young people, largely for economic and educational reasons, not seeing a driver’s licence as a necessary – or possible – step to driving.

“The other, connected aspect is the critical role a driver’s licence plays in employment prospects.

For many it’s the difference between getting on the escalator to a career, or a slide towards criminality.”

Allison said a team worked on and off the site for two months.

Most of the labour and excavator hours went into cleaning out the post-earthquake debris, with about 160 tonnes of clean fill removed.

About 12 tonnes of asphalt was used to patch potholes and 230 tonnes of AP40 shingle brought on site and spread to create a shingle country road experience on part of the track.

The initiative is being led by Te Rununga o Nga Maata Waka. •

WORLD’S OLDEST FOREST UNEARTHED AT QUARRY SITE THE CAIRO FOREST IS ABOUT 386 MILLION YEARS OLD AND WOULD HAVE SPANNED 400KM

Remnants of the world’s oldest fossil forest have been discovered in a sandstone quarry, providing fresh insight into the ecology and habitats of early forests.

It is believed the extensive network of trees, uncovered in Cairo, north of New York, is around 386 million years old and would have stretched some 400km.

Due to the fossils being located lower down in the rock sequence, the Cairo forest is thought to be around two to three million years older than what was previously the world’s oldest known forest at Gilboa, also in New York State.

A team led by scientists at Binghamton University, New York State Museum and Cardiff University have mapped more than 3000m2 of the forest at the abandoned quarry in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in the Hudson Valley.

Their investigations showed that the forest was home to at least two types of trees: cladoxylopsids and archaeopteris. A single example of a third type of tree was also uncovered,

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Quarry March 2020

which may be a lycopod.

The researchers reported a “spectacular and extensive” network of roots more than 11 metres in length.

The presence of fish fossils on the quarry surface also suggested the forest was wiped out by a flood.

“To really understand how trees began to draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, we need to understand the ecology and habitats of the very earliest forests, and their rooting systems.” study co-author Dr Chris Berry said.

“We are really getting a handle on the transition of the Earth to a forested planet.” •

UK LEADERS BACK UNESCO BID FOR WELSH SLATE LANDSCAPE UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has thrown his support behind a bid for a series of slate quarries in northwest Wales to receive UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

The landscape around Gwynedd, famous for supplying slate roofing materials around the world throughout the 19th Century, has been formally submitted as a nominee after a panel of experts first mooted the idea in 2018.

“This distinctive corner of our country is already on the map, having sent its slate across Britain, Europe and even Australia, and a UNESCO accolade would only propel it further,” Johnson told the BBC.

xxx Project Manager Karen Beatty (right) with the Fulton Hogan team behind the facility.

The world’s oldest known forest, located in a quarry, had roots extending more than 11m.

If accepted, the landscape will become the UK’s 33rd UNESCO World Heritage site, and the fourth in Wales.

Slate quarries across Gwynedd once ‘roofed the 19th Century’.

In the 19th century, the quarries were major providers of roofing materials and slate products throughout the world. Slate has been renowned for its high strength-to-weight ratio.

The landscape will now be appraised by the International Council on Monuments and Sites over the next year before being considered for inscription at the World Heritage Committee meeting in 2021. •

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TWIN HEADER ROTARY CUTTERS With different cutter drum options and multiple tooth geometries, SIMEX twin header rotary cutters are suitable for demanding applications and materials, including limestone, gypsum or schist with a hardness of up to 85mPa. The patented design of integrated high displacement hydraulic piston motor and double support bearings for each drum includes a 90-degree cutter head rotation and a sealing system that prevents impurities from entering the motor. The twin headers can be mounted on carriers up to 70 tonnes, with a maximum cutting force of 114.5kN, depending on the model.

More information: Total Rockbreaking Solutions, totalrockbreaking.com.au

LATEST TECH DOZER The Cat D11 dozer features load-sensing hydraulics and high engine reverse. The C32 engine delivers power ratings of 634kW forward and 712kW reverse. A 30 per cent larger engine oil sump capacity extends preventative maintenance intervals to 500 hours. A standard automated blade assist makes use of pre-set blade pitch position to increase efficiency and reduce operator workload. An optional auto ripper control monitors and automatically adjusts engine speed and ripper depth to minimise track slip. The dozer is equipped with Cat Product Link, Vision Link and Minestar software and options.

For more information: Caterpillar of Australia, cat.com/en_AU.html

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LOAD & HAUL

The latest units in the XE wheel loader range were unveiled at Caterpillar’s Load and Haul Event at Quarry Farm, Western Australia, in late 2019.

OEM UNVEILS NEW EARTHMOVING INNOVATIONS FOR AUSTRALIAN MARKET Caterpillar’s latest innovations in electric drive wheel loaders and articulated trucks have recently been put to work at a showcase for the extractive and construction sectors in Western Australia. Damian Christie reports.

16

Quarry March 2020

O

n 31 October, 2019, dealers and key clients ventured to Quarry Farm, 56km south of Perth, for Caterpillar’s Load and Haul Event where the original equipment manufacturer presented the latest developments in its wheel loaders and articulated trucks and a range of other machinery.

Caterpillar’s new electric drive (XE) wheel loader range was intended as the centrepiece of the event. The Cat 988K XE and 972M XE loaders worked in concert with the dieseloperated 986K aggregate handler, the 740 GC and 745 articulated dump trucks (ADTs) and the mine-spec 6015B excavator.

There was also a presentation of the Piacentini Panther low loader, which was designed by Bunbury-based contractor Piacentini & Son. It has been developed to improve safety and efficiency for the loading and transportation of heavy equipment around mine sites – and to prove its mettle, the 740 ADT towed the low loader, with the 6015B on its back, around the quarry.

The electric drive transmission replacement technology was first introduced by Caterpillar in 2008 – on a track-type D7E tractor. The XE powertrain in the decade since has been subsequently developed for three of Cat’s product families with different designs. This included the 2012 launch of the XE concept on the 966K and 972K medium wheel loaders which had continuously variable transmission and virtual or electronic gear.

The XE technology is intended to lower average fuel consumption by up to 25 per cent on machines with traditional torque converters, as well as offering simplified operations and high performance at all speeds. As Ayden Piri, the Asia-Pacific industry specialist and account manager for Caterpillar’s Global Construction and Infrastructure (GCI) division, told Quarry: “The XE design uses electric components with electronic control systems to reduce fuel burn and increase productivity and overall efficiency.”

According to Caterpillar, the XE machines have been rigorously tested in-house

The 988K XE is performance matched to efficiently load Cat’s larger rigid trucks, including the 64-tonne 775G.

SPECIFICATONS:

XE WHEEL LOADERS VEHICLE

988K XE

966M XE

972M XE

Cat C18 ACERT

Cat C9.3 ACERT

Cat C9.3 ACERT

403kW

222kW

232kW

Operating weight - Standard

52 tonnes

23 tonnes

25 tonnes

Operating weight – High lift

54 tonnes

23 tonnes

25 tonnes

2.5-9.2m3

2.9-9.9m3

3843mm

4140mm

Engine Net power

(sometimes against their predecessors and against competitive brands) and field-proven to ensure they are economical and efficient.

ELECTRIC DRIVE LOADERS The 988K XE – which was first launched at bauma 2019 in Munich, Germany – is intended for demanding job sites which value fuel efficiency. It is therefore expected to be up to 25 per cent more productive than the conventional, diesel-run 988K (whose forebears span 50 years), as well as up to 49 per cent more efficient at the quarry face. Yet, despite the change in powertrain, the 988K’s customary C18 ACERT engine, mechanical dropbox, driveline and axles remain a staple of the electric machine for trouble-free operation.

The loader offers a single speed range, which means it can efficiently operate without the need for gear shifts. New virtual gears help to control machine ground speed and deliver smooth direction shifts.

Further, Caterpillar production studies report this new loader can deliver up to 10 per cent more productivity in load and haul applications. It is performance matched to efficiently load the Cat larger rigid trucks, including the 38-tonne 770G (three passes), the 46-tonne 772 (four passes), the 55-tonne 773G (five passes) and the 64-tonne 775G (six passes). Its standard and rated payload reaches 11.3 tonnes when working with face

Rated payload – Standard (face/loose)

11.3 - 14.5 tonnes

Rated payload – High lift (face/loose)

11.3 tonnes 14.5 tonnes

Bucket capacity range

4.7-13m3

Dump clearance – Standard

3492mm

Dump clearance – High lift

3885mm

material and 14.5 tonnes with loose material.

Its bucket capacities cover 4.7m3 to 13m3.

The 988K XE is also equipped with switched reluctance (SR) technology. Piri explained that the SR system runs “by reluctance torque.

Unlike the common DC system, power is delivered to the windings in the stator (case) rather than by the rotor. This greatly simplifies mechanical design as power does not have to be delivered to a moving part. This means less heat, less wear and smoother power transmission”.

The loader’s XE technology is also said to lower overall maintenance costs, with extended oil change intervals of 2000 hours, requiring 40 per cent less powertrain oil. It offers increased engine life expectancy by up to 3500 hours, extending time between powertrain rebuilds.

“The 988K is considered a large wheel loader,” Piri explained. “With size comes capacity and productivity expectations.

Obviously larger units will be best for a wide range of work from face loading to load and carry operations.”

While some of the 988K XE’s diesel-run

predecessors have over many years worked in quarrying applications, the medium size 966M XE and the new 972M XE loaders are more specifically designed for aggregates, sand and gravel, concrete batching, and construction applications. They are also suitable for poor underfoot conditions and steep gradients which make traction difficult, thanks to what Piri described as “on the go disc-type differential locks”.

“These models come standard with front axle differential locks which are manually activated by a switch on the cab floor,” Piri explained.

“Optional fully automatic front and rear axle differential locks operate by measuring differences in wheel speeds and require no operator intervention to activate. These disctype differential locks reduce tyre scuffing compared to other traction aids, further reducing operating costs for customers.

“The axles contribute to lower fuel consumption due to lower oil levels, reducing churning losses from rotating components,” he continued. “They also have new external caliper disc parking brakes mounted to the input of the front axles. Caliper parking brakes Quarry March 2020 17

LOAD & HAUL

have a higher capacity than the drum brakes used on the 966K and 972K. Since they are external, they don’t have the inefficiencies of enclosed wet parking brakes due to brake discs running in oil, nor is there any oil to change. The results are reduced fuel and maintenance costs. External caliper brakes are easily accessible for inspection and service.”

The M-series XE loaders’ hydraulic systems are a mono-block design with integrated ride control systems that have become standard in the regular M-series loaders. The ride control systems use two accumulators, which enable more efficiency and productivity over a greater payload range.

“Hydraulic system components on the 966M XE and 972M XE are protected by full flow and kidney-loop filtration,” Piri explained. “A filter in the hydraulic tank return line filters all of the oil returning to the tank. There is also a case drain screen for additional protection and finally, a separate kidney-loop filter with a finer micron rating continuously filters smaller particles out of the system.

“This multi-level design ensures the hydraulic oil is clean and thoroughly protects the rest of the hydraulic system from contamination. A new thermal bypass valve has been added to improve hydraulic system warm-up.

“On the 988K XE, we have increased efficiency through our Positive Flow Control (PFC) hydraulic system. PFC has concurrent pump and valve control. By optimising pump control, the hydraulic oil flow is proportionate to implement lever movement.”

In the M-series XE loaders, new implement pumps with larger displacements for increased hydraulic flow at lower engine revolutions per minute continuously and automatically balance hydraulic loads with the machine performance stipulated by the operator. The pumps save fuel and improve engine response.

TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS The M-series XE loaders, the 988K XE and the 986K loaders are all equipped with technology solutions to increase operating efficiency and vehicle uptime, including the Cat Production Measurement (CPM) program, which offers advanced weighing modes that assist the operator with payload accuracy and increased loading cycle speed.

“The system automatically weighs each bucket load as the load is raised without any need for the operator to hesitate or stop the lift cycle which can be done while travelling,” Chris Barrett, the Caterpillar technology specialist for the company’s GCI division, told Quarry.

18

Quarry March 2020

SPECIFICATONS:

CAT 740 GC AND 745 ARTICULATED TRUCKS VEHICLE

CAT 740 GC

CAT 745

Cat C15 ACERT

Cat C18 ACERT

337kW

375kW

Weight (empty)

32 tonnes

74 tonnes

Rated payload capacity

36 tonnes

41 tonnes

Length

11,052mm

11,173mm

Width, over tyres

3495mm

3500mm

Number of axles

3

3

6WD

6WD

Engine Gross power

Drive configuration

“Some exclusive features that help operators increase cycle times are the ‘tip off’ and ‘low light weighing’. Low lift weighing provides an estimate of bucket payload quickly without lifting through the entire weight range. Tipoff then provides adjusted weights in real time, which allows operators to make final pass load adjustments either at the truck or the stockpile.

Both of these features increase cycle time.”

The CPM can be viewed on a multi-purpose colour touchscreen in the cab. The intuitive navigation with in-language text encourages operators to adjust their machine operating parameters and monitor machine condition from the cab.

The 988K XE and the 986K are also equipped with remote monitoring systems via the standard Cat Product Link and Vision Link programs to keep personnel informed about critical machine operating data, eg fuel usage, payload summaries, service reminders, faults, and productivity reports. The on-board Vital Information Management System (VIMS) also alerts the loader operator to real time fuel consumption and efficiency. The operator can also utilise an optional tyre pressure monitoring system via the VIMS platform.

The Cat Connect Solutions software on the M-series electric drive loaders perform similar functions to the Cat Product Link and CPM on the 988K XE and the 986K. Barrett said these programs provide “comprehensive information” for producers to manage and optimise their fleets. “Cat Productivity provides precise payload, location and time details

while developing cycle segmentation data for analysis. It tracks daily productivity with quick access to truck stored weights, loads and cycle counts, material movement, and daily totals. It enables tracking of fuel costs and machine hours and enables live payload data for analysis. This is ideal for comparing productivity between shifts.

“The dashboards enable an easy review of high idle time and encourage data-based decisions to determine optimum distances of cycle segments and fleet deployment based on hourly utilisation updates.”

CONVENTIONAL LOADER The 986K loader has the potential for fuel economy and improved efficiency. A complement to the conventional 988K loader and a replacement for the legacy 988F model, the 986K’s aggregate handler configuration features an 8.3m3 bucket and additional counterweight for higher volume loading of aggregates. It is well matched for loading 36- to 53-tonne articulated and rigid trucks, including the Cat 740 GC and 745 (four passes), the 770 (four passes), the 772 (five passes) and the 773 (six passes), especially with its high-lift configuration.

The 986K’s Z-bar loader linkage provides visibility to the bucket edges and work area and delivers aggressive digging capabilities and high breakout forces.

The senior quarry specialist for Caterpillar’s GCI division, Felice Stocco, told Quarry the 986K was a suitable replacement for the

LOAD & HAUL

988F legacy loader. “The capacity and the production of the primary hopper determines the size of the loading tool and machine size,” he said.

“The 986K shares the same proven legacy design of the 988F. This loader carries over a common linkage layout while updating parts for improved service and commonality across the wheel loader family. The 988F linkage had a reputation of being an outstanding digging machine. This is why we didn’t feel the need to change the layout or the kinematics. This makes it ideal as a 988F replacement and where high production and portability is valued. So, all you are doing is to replacing an old model with the latest product that comes with lower fuel burn, more productivity, more comfort and better safety features.”

ARTICULATED TRUCKS As discussed, the 40-tonne Cat 740 GC and 745 trucks complement the 986K, 966M XE and 972M XE loaders. According to Piri, both articulated truck models feature a reengineered cab design for enhanced comfort and ease of operation. They include new controls, transmission-protection features, hoist-assist systems, Advanced Automatic Traction Control (AATC) systems, stabilityassist machine rollover warning systems, and a fuel-saving ECO mode.

Piri said the 740 GC and the 745 are the largest ADTs available from Caterpillar and ideal for quarry operators. “The 745 is designed to match heavy applications and the new 740 GC is aimed particularly at the life cycle value customer who requires a reliable, cost-efficient 40-tonne class truck – without the need for the ‘out and out’ productivity of the larger 745.

“The new 740 GC is based on the 735C and 745 platforms, with adjustments to systems to create a genuine 40-tonne articulated truck with all the durability expected of a Cat ADT.” Both vehicles are equipped with the fully AATC system for stability on steep gradients. Piri said that while the AATC on the articulated trucks works on the same principle as the differential locks on the medium size XE loaders, the key difference is it is fully electronic.

“Proactive application of the inter- and cross-axle differential locks is ‘on the go’ and fully automatic,” Piri said. “The operator does not have to think about when and where to engage either diff lock. Sensors monitor the machine and wheel speeds, enabling instant response in high rolling resistance conditions.

Operation is seamless and smooth, eliminating wheel slippage for maximum 20

Quarry March 2020

traction and therefore productivity. Clutches are automatically disengaged when ground conditions allow, maximising efficiency when steering or when on uneven ground. AATC reduces tyre and driveline abuse, eliminating lost machine efficiencies caused by improper manual operation of the differential clutches and reducing the cost of premature tyre replacement.”

Both vehicles are fitted with Cat CX38B high density power shift transmission and automatic retarding control systems. A terrain-based, throttle-smoothing system prevents throttle input surges as the ADT travels over extremely rough ground, thereby enabling the operator to keep steady pressure on the accelerator pedal. Hill assist systems facilitate efficient stopping and starting on grades, reducing the risk of rollbacks. The two vehicles also incorporate a “wait brake”, which temporarily applies the service brakes during pauses in the work cycle, combined transmission and hoist lever systems to minimise operator effort in body hoisting functions, and directional gear shifting protection to bring the truck to a safe stop.

The cabs of the 740 GC and the 745 are also fitted with new external “spinal” rollover protection systems (ROPS), which comprise bonded rear quarter glass to give the operator enhanced visibility of the job site (without the inconvenience of a structural pillar), as well as a host of other safety features, eg automatic climate control systems and a “wake-up” feature which initiates displays and external access lights whenever the door is opened.

The Cat Detect with Stability Assist system, which monitors the working angle of the tractor, body and grade, will audibly and visibly caution the operator if the vehicle is at risk of tipping over.

Caterpillar’s Link and CPM technologies are also fitted to the ADTs as standard, and buyers have the option of fitting Cat Connect PAYLOAD technology for the optimisation of operations and jobsite efficiency. Cat Connect PAYLOAD calculates the vehicle’s payload via sensors on the walking beam suspension and includes load status lights on all four corners of the cab roof to enhance the operator’s view.

DUE DILIGENCE When it comes to price point and return on investment, Piri said that producers should consult the Cat dealer network around Australia for the best outcome.

“Caterpillar’s dealership network is best positioned to provide adequate information about price, availability, total cost of ownership and return on investment,” he said.

SPECIFICATONS:

986K WHEEL LOADER ENGINE Max net power

CAT C15 ACERT 278kW

Operating weight – Standard lift

44 tonnes

Rated payload – Quarry face

10 tonnes

Rated payload – Aggregate (Standard lift)

13 tonnes

Wheel base

3810mm

Bucket capacities

5-10m3

Dump clearance – Standard

3079mm

Dump clearance – High lift

3538mm

Bucket pin height – Standard

4912mm

Bucket pin height – High lift

5371mm

He expressed confidence that the XE range of loaders will make an impact in the Australian extractive industry market. “XE products move more material with less fuel and less time spent on the jobsite,” he said. “These gains can be easily measured in a variety of applications.”

Felice Stocco echoed Piri when he was asked to dispense some advice for quarrying producers looking to buy or upgrade their earthmoving plant and equipment. “Lowering total cost of ownership is an objective all are trying to achieve, therefore optimising the fleet to match productivity is a good starting point,” Stocco said. “Caterpillar and Cat dealers’ quarry experts would be available to visit your site anywhere in the country to provide you with customised solutions and tailored advice.” •

QUARRIES FOR SALE GROMAC CENTRAL DIVISION

• SARINA • HATFIELD • BLUE MOUNTAIN, QLD OFFERS INVITED FOR THE SALE OF QUARRY SITES AT SARINA, HATFIELD AND BLUE MOUNTAIN, CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

SARINA

HATFIELD

BLUE MOUNTAIN

n

Located on the Bruce Highway, approximately 5kms south of Sarina, Queensland.

n

Located on Bolingbroke Road, Koumala, approximately 35km from Sarina, Queensland.

n

Located approximately 40kms south west of Mackay, QLD and is accessed via the Peak Downs Highway.

n

Owned under freehold title

n

Operated under a licence agreement

n

Owned free hold

n

Development approval 5000t – 100,000t

n

n

n

Weighbridge including computer and software

Development approval for 100,000t – 1,000,000t

Development approval for 100,000t – 1,000,000t

n

Licence renegotiation March 2022

n

Access via a road easement

n

Office building with fixed desks and cupboards

n

Weighbridge including computer and software

n

n

Workshop building

n

n

Two water tanks adjacent to office with pressure pump

Office building with fixed desks and cupboards

Sale of a parcel of freehold land encompassing the quarry or licence agreement

n

n

Workers camp consisting of four demountable buildings, cement tank, pressure pump, roof structure

Weighbridge including computer and software

n

Demountable office building

n

Shipping container adjoined to office building used as store room

n n

Bore pump and water lines Pugmill with Genset

n

Bore pump and water lines

n

Two access grids

n

Underground fuel tank

n

Jaques Jaw crusher

n

Shipping container containing fuel pump

n

Pugmill with Genset

High quality mineral resources across all quarry sites, capable of meeting market demand across all quarry products. n n n n n n n

Ballast Precoated Aggregate Road Base Armour Rock Flood Rock Crusher Dust Cement treated base “Pugged”

n

Concrete Aggregate

n

Aggregate

n

Gabion Rock

n

Drainage Rock

n

Mattress Rock

n

Shot Rock/Blast Rock

Note: All sites are capable of producing the full range of quarry products

All quarries benefit from close proximity to the Hay Point Port, one of the largest coal ports globally, the Goonyella rail system and the growing central Queensland city of Mackay. There are no operational constraints at the sites, with the exception of development and environmental restrictions.

OFFERS CLOSE 31 MARCH 2020 FREEHOLD OR LEASE WITH OR WITHOUT MACHINERY

Contact Ray Gross for further details Mobile 0407 595 253 | Email: ray@gromac.com.au

LOAD & HAUL

Both Komatsu earthmoving gear and Kleemann crushing plant are mutually exclusive on-site at Walker Quarries.

EARTHMOVING GEAR CONTRIBUTES TO LOCAL SUCCESS AND PRIDE

A

quarry owned mainly by local shareholders and staffed almost exclusively by nearby townspeople is bringing pride and productivity to Wallerawang in near central New South Wales.

In less than two years, Walker Quarries has lifted from an 80,000-tonne-per-annum (tpa) operation of quartzite capture, to more than 200,000 tpa, climbing towards its licensed capacity of half a million tonnes.

The operation began as a greenfield site only five years ago but its real development has occurred in the last two, with a policy which has achieved the delicate balance between investment and profitability and created a workplace culture which has minimised staff turnover and contributed to the local community.

Until recently, Walker Quarries, named for nearby Mount Walker in the recently gazetted Marrangaroo National Park, was a discrete operation behind a non-descript fence on the Great Western Highway, just out of Lithgow, on the road to Bathurst.

Then signs were erected, and the entrance opened up, reflecting local pride.

Its 16 staff are all from nearby towns and the quarry has adopted a policy of dealing with selected partners with local service capability.

The quarry has only two major external partners, both of which are proudly displayed on the signs at the front gate.

One is the provider of its crushing equipment (Wirtgen Australia). The other is its earthmoving machinery supplier: Komatsu 22

Quarry March 2020

A WA500 wheel loader works in tandem with a HM400 dump truck.

Australia. Both are mutually exclusive on-site.

All off-site transportation is secured from contractors “to keep it simple”.

Walker runs seven Komatsu machines, two new and the others purchased through Komatsu’s premium used equipment division to maximise investment efficiency.

The mix of WA480 and WA500 wheel loaders, PC450 excavators and a HM400 dump truck have been brought on strength progressively as the quarry’s potential has ramped up.

Only one each of the wheel loaders and excavators have been new, their purchase justified by future planning for the site which has revealed a 30-year resource potential.

“We get exceptional service on all our

machinery and with a premium used late model fleet there is no need to be concerned about lost productivity [through breakdown],” Walker’s quarry manager Trevor Hoffmann said.

The provision of a premium power train warranty on its used machinery provides additional certainty.

Walker’s board of five principal directors, two from Sydney and three from the district representing local small investors, is soon to determine future policy for machinery turnover and it will be influenced to a large degree by the conditions which have been created in the quarry.

Since Hoffmann’s appointment in July 2017, Walker has built “good hard roads”

in the quarry to minimise tyre wear and machinery degradation.

The access roads, which provide positive implications for machine life, are one example of a regime the experienced civil contractor and quarry manager has helped bring to the site to contain unnecessary cost and ramp up productivity.

Walker and Komatsu have jointly developed a service and training regime to optimise the use of the machinery. The two companies share machine service duties, in each case to factory standards, with Komatsu experts brought in when required. The operator skills of Walker personnel have been maximised by on-site training from Komatsu specialists.

“I tell my operators: ‘Leave your bad habits at the front gate’,” Hoffmann said. “But I’m always open to a good idea from them.”

Walker is integrating KOMTRAX, Komatsu’s on-machine remote monitoring diagnostic service, onto all its machines and Hoffmann is using it to further motivate his operators.

According to Hoffmann, employee turnover

Walker and Komatsu personnel have jointly developed a service and training regime to optimise the use of the machinery, including the Komatsu hybrid HB335 LC (foreground) and the HM400 dump truck.

at Walker is relatively low, the result of a teambuilding culture which has been at the core of the quarry’s development. “I enjoy teaching other people,” he said.

Hoffmann’s rounded experience – as a successful civil contractor on major roadworks and infrastructure, and now in at least four quarries - has provided Walker

High wear, high impact, abrasion-resistant steel for the mining, quarrying and construction industries.

Market-leading steel specialist and trusted partner for over 40 years.

with a strong opportunity to develop its own extraction process and meet the needs of its clients.

“It’s given me an appreciation of the needs of both and how we can work as a team,” Hoffman said. • Source: Komatsu Australia

AK Evans and CJD personnel with AK Evans’ EC350D excavators in their Beyond Blue livery.

LOAD & HAUL

DEALER, DRY HIRE SERVICE JOIN FORCES FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Australia’s national dealer of Volvo Construction Equipment and a Port Hedland-based rental service have formed a unique partnership in support of mental health awareness.

F

ounded by joint managing directors Aaron Evans and Kylie Hall, group equipment rental operator AK Evans Group (AK Evans) initially commenced operations as a dry hire provider in 2006.

Based in Port Hedland in northern Western Australian, the company has since expanded its suite of services, drawing on an in-depth knowledge of the Pilbara, Kimberly, Goldfields and mid-west regions.

AK Evans’ general manager Michael Still explained that in addition to dry hire, AK Evans Group now also provides a broad range of services, including wet hire, transport and haulage, mechanical servicing, site mobilisation and demobilisation, road construction and maintenance, rail maintenance, civil works, subdivisions, rehabilitation works, and waste remediation.

AK Evans is also a major ownership partner in Maramara joint venture alongside 100 per cent Indigenous family-owned company Kurtarra. Established in December 2013, Maramara provides mining and civil construction services in the north-west of Western Australia.

EXPERIENCED TEAM, DIVERSE FLEET Still said that AK Evans Group draws strength from both its family-owned background and vastly experienced staff. The company is 24

Quarry March 2020

able to draw on extensive collective industry experience providing contracting services across the state.

“Having the privilege to lead this organisation, I am acutely aware that a big part of my role and where we are heading needs to be to continue to retain the value our business has offered for so long,” Still said.

“Being able to bend and flex to the market requirements is as important as when you are a team of 20 or a team of 200 and having one of the most diverse earthmoving fleets in the area helps as well.”

It is a fleet that encompasses earthmoving plant and heavy haulage machinery for the civil and mining industries, including excavators, loaders, dozers, graders, skid steers, rollers, trucks and attachments.

AK Evans’ fleet is currently being employed across a range of projects, including supporting BMD Constructions with runway upgrades for the Port Hedland International Airport and providing road construction services to cyclone-affected areas within the Pilbara region, with a completed project in the Goldfields late last year to see AK Evans deliver civil and mechanical packages for the construction of a solar farm.

Still pointed to efficiencies in cycle times, fuel improvements and the incorporation of smart technologies across the machines in

AK Evans’ fleet as being a strong factor in enabling the company to provide competitive rates to its clients.

“For our hire fleet, it gives our customers the confidence that they are armoured with some of the world’s leading technology,” he said.

“There are also the obvious benefits of being able to track performance and use of a machine when we operate a fleet like ours in some of the world’s most remote areas.

Being able to reconfirm data shared with us by our customers from anywhere in the world means we are dealing with the right issue at hand.”

A STRONG COMBINATION Still explained that AK Evans’ relationship with privately owned Australian construction equipment and trucks distributor CJD Equipment goes “back quite some time”, with a major motivation for AK Evans being access to the Volvo brand, which he noted “continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in a machine”.

He additionally cited CJD’s comprehensive range of services as being a determining factor in the ongoing relationship, noting that “without the back-up support and service offering of CJD, we simply couldn’t entertain their units.

“Knowing that when we buy from CJD, we

are also supported by a network of branches and field service techs gives us a lot of confidence,” Still said. “CJD also takes the time to know our business and ensure we are getting the very best out of their product.

“The machines are great, with low cost running and maintenance, but most of all, the service and back-up that has been provided to our business is second to none. Support and back-up is paramount when you are operating in remote areas, and the ability to have parts and service available locally makes all the difference.”

SUPPORTING BEYOND BLUE The relationship between AK Evans and CJD has also seen the two companies come together to support awareness about mental health in the workplace, collaborating on an initiative in 2018 that saw the team at CJD Guildford covering the expenses to paint the counterweights of two new Volvo EC350D excavators blue in support of the Beyond Blue organisation. AK Evans has committed to donating $1 to Beyond Blue for every machine hour worked by the machines for its clients and is inviting clients that hire the excavators to match that donation.

Still said that both AK Evans Group and CJD have embraced the Beyond Blue initiative, believing “we can make a difference with the alternative way we have

AK Evans’ managing director Aaron Evans.

gone about promoting the organisation to assist people in working through their mental health problems”.

“As AK Evans was purchasing the machines it seemed fitting that they were used as a big ‘billboard’ for promoting Beyond Blue, with the message and the phone number sitting in the middle of a construction site, slewing around showing everyone on site the message that there is someone out there that can assist,” he commented.

CJD’s regional sales manager James Daniels, who has been with the dealer for eight years and has been working with AK Evans in recent years since taking on responsibility for CJD’s north-west region, said that the company has purchased a number of machines, and also pointed to the positive impact of the Beyond Blue initiative.

He advised that in his time AK Evans

has added to its fleet one EX480D and six Volvo EC350D excavators (including the five excavators supporting Beyond Blue), one Volvo L150 wheel loader, four L120F wheel loaders and a L90F wheel loader.

Daniels said that for the most part he has worked with Aaron Evans over the course of his dealings with AK Evans and pointed to the role that Evans has played in driving forward the Beyond Blue initiative.

“We have been working together for five years now, further building the relationship between CJD and AK Evans,” Daniels said.

“This relationship really took off in working on the Beyond Blue machines, when Aaron approached us to assist with the great work he is doing in the Pilbara around mental health awareness.”

Source: CJD Equipment/Volvo Construction Equipment

PROUD SUPPORT OF BEYOND BLUE Effective from 1 February until 31 May, 2020, CJD Equipment is donating $1000 to Beyond Blue for every new generalpurpose Volvo excavator it sells.

Mental health is a significant issue affecting many Australians and CJD Equipment is proud to be constructing a path to better mental health through raising awareness and funds for Beyond Blue.

One in five construction workers experience a diagnosable mental health condition and one in 20 experience suicidal thoughts. As a result, CJD Equipment and Volvo Construction Equipment want to acknowledge this struggle and contribute to supporting not only the people in the construction industry but across the country as well.

Beyond Blue helps equip Australians with the knowledge and skills to protect their own mental health. It helps to give people the confidence to support those around them, as well as tackle the stigma, prejudice and discrimination that prevent people from speaking up or reaching out for help.

CJD is committed to maintaining a workplace that prioritises the health and well-being of its people, customers and the communities in which it operates.

The company is proud to support such a worthy cause that is in line with its values.

If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact Beyond Blue, tel 1300 224 636 or visit beyondblue.org.au Source: CJD Equipment

CJD Guildford kindly arranged for the rear of AK Evans’ excavators to be painted.

Quarry March 2020 25

LOAD & HAUL

CO-PILOT PROGRAM KEEPS UP PRODUCTION, SAFETY VIA TOUCH DISPLAY

V

olvo Construction Equipment has developed Volvo Co-Pilot, an intelligently-designed interactive display that offers real time insight into work performed by select Volvo machines, ensuring the highest standard of efficiency and accuracy in any application.

The high definition touchscreen is the operator’s partner in the cab, providing unrestricted access to all the integrated functionality required to unlock a Volvo machine’s full performance potential.

Delivering a range of productivity, fuel efficiency, uptime and safety solutions, the industry-leading 254mm (10”) display gives the operator and owner all of the information they need to ensure a highly productive – and profitable – operation.

Whether digging trenches or loading heavy-duty material, Volvo Co-Pilot offers more control, accuracy and uptime across a variety of applications and machines.

However, Volvo Co-Pilot doesn’t work alone.

The interactive display works simultaneously with Volvo Assist, which comprises of Dig Assist for excavators, Load Assist for wheel loaders, Haul Assist for articulated haulers and Pave Assist for pavers. Volvo Co-Pilot is designed to work seamlessly with each application, providing real time operational data for a responsive, harmonious and efficient operating experience.

With Volvo Co-Pilot, the operator has easy access to all the unified functionalities of Volvo Assist. With machine, job and material information at their fingertips, operators can do more work per litre of fuel, maximising 26

Quarry March 2020

The Volvo Co-Pilot high definition touchscreen is the operator’s partner in the cab, providing unrestricted access to all the integrated functionality.

fuel efficiency and productivity.

In addition to providing precise performance, the heavy-duty display is designed to keep production running – at capacity and to deadline, regardless of the job. Volvo Co-Pilot, and its total synchronisation with Volvo Assist, helps the operator and the machine to achieve greater uptime to keep the job on schedule and the business profitable.

Not only does Volvo Co-Pilot make light work of heavy-duty jobs, it minimises interruptions in the workflow for greater on-site safety. The ergonomically-positioned display reduces operator interaction with fewer on-screen menus, helping to keep the focus on the task at hand. When pre-set operating limits are met, Volvo Co-Pilot alerts the operator through audio and visual signals. Thanks to this intelligent technology,

movement around the machine is eliminated as well as the need for additional on-site personnel, improving safety and operator autonomy.

With Volvo Co-Pilot, the operator can quickly and independently manage all operations with ease. The on-board display is intuitive enough to operate with minimal training and provides on-screen tips, optimising ease of operation and uptime. Operators can also customise functions and targets in seconds and easily monitor the progress of their work with greater independence and confidence.

With a 14-gigabyte internal hard drive, Volvo Co-Pilot provides approximately seven months of space to store ample detail of the machine’s performance and productivity. This information enables aggregate producers to analyse machine usage and identify areas for improvement.

When ordering one of the optional Volvo Assist solutions, producers will automatically receive the Volvo Co-Pilot, which is constantly being improved by Volvo engineers.

Committed to ongoing and future support, Volvo is developing the Volvo Co-Pilot to provide extended functionalities focused solely on producers’ needs.

It has been more than 25 years since Volvo CE first partnered with CJD Equipment.

This successful partnership has supplied Australia’s construction and earthmoving industries with Volvo’s world-class products, along with after-market service and support right across the country. • Source: CJD Equipment/Volvo CE

PROCESSING

RADAR SENSOR LEVEL MANAGEMENT SOLUTION FOR PROCESS CONTROL

T

he process and controls industry is competitive, demanding speed, efficiency and productivity at reduced costs. As a result, execution of critical tasks like continuous level measurement require accurate, reliable equipment.

Accurate measurements achieve processing efficiencies and optimum productivity.

However, not all radar level transmitters operate in bulk solids applications. An incorrect selection can heavily impact on efficiency and profits.

When the level of bulk solids is detected and converted into an electronic signal, it is incorporated into a process control system.

However, in containers and silos, sensor focusing can be influenced by extreme noise, hindering the level measurement result. Sensor

measurements can also be inaccurate in harsh environments with dust, dirt, water and vapour.

The VEGAPULS 69 radar sensor is a step closer to being an all-round radar level measuring instrument for bulk solids.

It can deliver reliable measurement data,

maintenance-free operation and lower servicing costs. It can be equipped with an encapsulated plastic or lens antenna integrated in the metal flange, protecting it from dirt and build-up.

The level transmitter operates at 79GHz, allowing enhanced focusing of the transmitted signal which reduces background noise in internal structures such as silos.

Bulk solids with poor reflective qualities can be measured with high reliability due to new microwave components that allow the sensor to detect the smallest of reflected signals. With a measuring range of up to 120m and accuracy of +/-5mm, the VEGAPULS 69 sensor can perform reliable distance measurement on conveyor systems. • Source: Vega Australia

4HE BENEFITS OF 4UFFLEX s ,ONGER LIFE OVER WIRE SCREENS UP TO X s ,ESS SCREENING DOWNTIME REDUCED NUMBER OF SCREEN CHANGES s /(3 2EDUCED WEIGHT OVER WIRE SCREENS

2EDUCTION IN NOISE s %ASIEST SCREEN TO REPLACE IN END TENSION MOBILE SCREENS LIGHTER COMPACT AND EASIER TO PLACE INTO POSITION #ONTACT A ,OCKER REPRESENTATIVE FOR PRICING AND ADVICE TODAY

(/'' -*, 0+.

PUGMILLS

PUGMILL OFFERS THE POTENTIAL TO EXPAND THE REVENUE STREAM

Pugmills are renowned for the blending and mixing of materials such as roadbase and concrete.

However, there are signs pugmills are opening the door for quarries to diversify into cement and asphalt production. Damian Christie reports.

A

pugmill is not part of a crushing and screening circuit, Jonny McMurtry told Quarry; it’s a circuit in its own right.

“A pugmill is a mobile system consisting of a chamber housing a dual shaft which rotates and blends material and water to optimally moisturise the system,” McMurtry, senior sales executive for national construction materials equipment supplier Precisionscreen, said.

“Predominantly it’s used for roadbase material, to optimally add water to aggregates which are compacted on-site. Other applications include soil stabilisation and creating a cement-based product, where cement or fly ash is added as a percentage to the product and then blended in the pughead to provide the optimum, efficient use of additives and the water to blend products.

“In rural areas, pugmills work where the optimum use of water is added to roadbase, so they can be carted to rural roads and laid in the most economic fashion. Certainly in rural areas, water is extremely precious, so producers are finding better ways of using it.

Pugmills also blend sands, soils and waste products for an end use as a bedding soil.”

While not all quarries employ pugmills in their operations, McMurtry said some operations are eyeing them as a potential revenue stream.

“Pugmills extend quarries’ products and capabilities because they create cementtreated product,” he elaborated. “By and large, it’s expanded product they offer, if it’s a cement-treated application. In years gone by, quarries would add water and blend with a loader or an excavator, which was hard and labour-intensive on the capital equipment.

Pugmills can blend materials at 200 to 250 tonnes per hour (tph), with the correct volume of water, in an efficient, economical way.”

OPTIMUM MOISTURE CONTENT Over the years, Precisionscreen, an Australian family-owned business that specialises in the distribution and manufacture of mobile crushing and screening equipment solutions, has launched several iterations of the mobile 28

Quarry March 2020

The Scorpion Pugmill PLC with complementary additive bin.

Scorpion pugmill. The Scorpion can pug roadbase with optimum moisture content (OMC) at 300 tph.

The Scorpion can mix three products and cement powder simultaneously, thanks to a programmable logic controller (PLC) that uses weighscales on the main product belt to blend the mixture to achieve a homogenous product.

The scales help to accurately determine the tonnage rate of the roadbase material. This rate is relayed to the PLC that regulates the percentage mix of each additional component, ie extra additives (eg clay, sand, etc), cement powder and water volume.

The Scorpion pugmill is available in two configurations: OMC and PLC. There are more than 80 Scorpion machines operating nationally; 20 are PLC versions.

“We have made additions to the Scorpion pugmill, where it’s now a PLC system, and more operator-friendly,” McMurtry explained. “A user can set parameters as per requirements, and return to it daily, understanding that the PLC system will anticipate what they’re trying to achieve. A single operator can run the machine.

Both versions of the Scorpion feature an elevated twin auger pug head with a 3.5m

discharge height – it prevents segregation on the main conveyor belt and keeps the belt clean as material is carried to the pug head dry. They are each equipped with 50 reversible wear paddles and single on-board pumps.

“The discharge head on our pug head is about 3.5m so it can be loaded directly into the back of a truck off the pugmill itself,” McMurtry said. “All the wearparts within the pugmill are reversible, so you get optimum life out of them.

“There is the capability of running a precoating system off the pugmill. You can add on a pre-coat pump for diesel coating and blending of the material, so the diesel mix and pre-coat mix can be pumped into the pug head, and everything can be blended in an economical fashion with the paddles and shafts.

“Two-thirds of the way up the conveyor, a flat door triggers the pre-coat pump as the material passes beneath it. Once it’s pumped to the pug head, the material is blended in a more efficient, effective manner.”

An on-board 2m3 weigh bin can be added to the Scorpion pugmill. The bin allows producers, McMurtry said, “to haul and add a certain percentage of cement, lime, fly ash or

other additive to the product before it goes to the pug head”.

The weigh bin is complemented by the CTS50 (vertical) or HTS-50 (horizontal) silo cement transfer system, each based on GP cement of 1.2 tonnes per cubic metre. “The HTS is a semi-mobile system that can store and feed up to 50 tonnes of additives and push the material through a screw conveyor into the additive bin from the pugmill,” McMurtry said.

“It provides constant flow and production of cement and fly ash. It means the pugmill is self-sufficient, an economical way of producing the material.

“The CTS is a more permanent structure, it is built vertically. The HTS comes with jacking legs, and can be transferred from site to site in a cost-efficient manner.”

CLAM SHELL DESIGN The pug head is available in an optional clam shell design for easier access, cleaning and maintenance. “The clam shell design allows the doors to open at the bottom of

P L A N T

.

the machine, so you don’t have to lower the machine for cleaning and maintenance,” McMurtry said. “The operator can do the necessary checks and cleaning in a more time-effective manner. The reports we’ve had from customers who owned the older pugmills and now own the new ones is that on average it saves them between 30 and 40 minutes per day on checks and cleaning.”

According to Precisionscreen’s promotional literature, the clam shell design with additive bin can work as a mini-batch plant. “Most of the reports we’re getting is the pugmill, if it’s batching cement, can generate 180 to 200 tph,” McMurtry said. “It can do up to 300 tph if it’s moisture adding but when it’s cement or concrete, it’s restricted by the volume of the material.”

Another option is a blending hopper which, McMurtry said, is a similar size to the pugmill’s hopper and works alongside the machine, feeding to the main conveyor. “If producers have sands or another product to blend with aggregates or soils in the primary hopper,

E Q U I P M E N T

.

P A R T S

.

the blending hopper is a cost-efficient way of loading and blending materials on the pugmill’s main conveyor before it goes to the pug head and is blended as part of the pugmill process.”

McMurtry was asked what advice he had for quarry operators on the lookout for a pugmill.

“The benefit of our pugmill is that it is mobile from site to site,” he said. “It’s Australiandesigned and manufactured – built for what we call Australian conditions – right down to triple-sealed bearings and poly rollers to allow for the harsh conditions. The Scorpion has all the safety features that are necessary for the quarrying application, such as the automatic start-up feature, the grabwire switches, e-stops, all the necessary safety parameters.

It has its own on-board water pump, so it is mobile, it can go from site to site and can integrate with water supplies on various sites.

“Now with the automation features that we’ve added to it, it’s more operator-friendly and easier to use. It’s the most mobile pugmill available for Australian quarrying operators.” •

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EDUCATION

EDUCATION CRITICAL IN A

CHANGING REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT Upon commencing as IQA CEO, Kylie Fahey said the Institute’s challenge was to provide flexible products that could meet the industry’s skills and training needs. Eighteen months on, she is confident the Institute is on course to provide formal and collegial education for its members.

K

ylie Fahey strongly believes there is a holistic approach to education and training – it is not just individuals, but also organisations and industries at large that benefit from education and professional development.

“Professional development is a core part of other industries, whether that be health, airlines, finance, etc,” she said. “Education essentially allows an industry – and the businesses and individuals within it – to adapt to change, improve business performance, and address health and safety risk issues.”

For the quarrying industry, Fahey recognises changes are constant. “It’s about having the understanding and ability to respond to regulation or legislative changes,” she explained. “If you look at the requirements on a quarry today compared to just last year – we’ve had new exposure standards come in for respirable crystalline silica (RCS), the introduction of a competency maintenance scheme in New South Wales, tougher mine health and safety laws in Queensland – the world constantly changes. We can always – as individuals or businesses – strive for improvement. ‘Improvement’ might be servicing our customers in different ways, improving fuel efficiency, automating a process, or using new technology. There is a lot that people can do to improve their business skills and outcomes, health and safety, profitability, and staff and customer retention.”

Fahey describes the IQA’s education initiatives for the industry as “multi-faceted, multi-layered, and responsive” to individual quarries’ needs. “The IQA will respond to what industry needs. There may be a site that wants to put on a Professional Development (PDP) course on slope stability or electrical awareness for their staff. We can organise that,” she said. “We’re looking at changes at the regulatory level, responding to content, being realistic with our scheduling, keeping our courses confined and responding to what the market wants.

“We’re also considering other gaps in 30

Quarry March 2020

IQA CEO Kylie Fahey says the Institute’s events are invaluable sources of formal and informal professional development.

training in the industry at the moment. We are preparing a program about RCS that will cover education from awareness to recent, specific changes,” she added, referring to the lowering of the national workplace exposure standard for RCS from 0.1mg/m3 to 0.05mg/m3.

“In line with Cement Concrete & Aggregate Australia’s policy position on RCS, we’ll be explaining the changes in the workplace exposure standards. We’ll be addressing some of the soft skills of communicating with the workforce about this, and encouraging change. We’ll be considering the types of [dust] controls that are required and also address the monitoring and the reporting.

That’s essentially what the workshop will address and there will be additional fact sheets to cover that awareness.”

Fahey said the RCS program would have sessions in every capital city, and that further PDP courses are being devised to assist with regulator demands. “The hazard identification PDP this month [a webinar on 12 March] has been put on after direct feedback from

the NSW Resources Regulator. We are communicating with regulators around the country about areas where there is a need for training, and the regulators have identified communication skills as an issue.”

CERTIFICATION FRAMEWORK The PDP program will continue to be an integral part of the IQA’s Quarry Manager Certification System (QMCS) for granting professional recognition to industry professionals. The QMCS sets minimum standards for continuing professional development (CPD) for statutory-approved quarry managers or supervisors, requires ongoing professional development for the achievement and maintenance of certified practicing status, as well as CPD in relevant topics about industry practice, and demands certified practicing quarry managers and supervisors abide by professional ethical standards.

“We have a really good framework with the QMCS,” Fahey said. “It’s about what the

individual needs. One person’s training needs may be very different from another’s. Someone may need to upskill in a technical area or someone else may need softer skills around communication or leading teams. The IQA may be able to directly deliver that training or recommend them to an approved training provider. That’s the core of what we do.”

To maintain certified status, practitioners must undertake at least 15 hours of CPD and training per year, preferably in subjects such as risk and emergency management, leadership and management, workplace health and safety (WHS), and technical skills. The CPD may take the form of a combination of formal learning or PDP courses.

The IQA offers formal recognition of professional development through the QMCS. The individual will fulfil the requirements and be as a Certified Practicing Quarry Manager (CPQM) or a Certified Practicing Quarry Supervisor (CPQS).

In NSW, a mandatory competency maintenance scheme applies for quarry managers, who must undertake up to 90 hours of CPD over a five-year period (or 18 hours per year), with 50 per cent of those total hours dedicated to formal learning. Learning must be undertaken in five areas of competence, including: • Mining and WHS. • Legislation.

• Emergency management.

• Leadership and management.

• General WHS, including a mandatory eight-hour Learning from Mining Disasters course developed by the NSW Resources Regulator.

The IQA has been entrusted with delivering the Learning from Disasters program to NSW members. “The outcomes are quite specific,” Fahey said, “that is, of learning lessons from the past, and ensuring they are part of a systematic approach to safety. The workshop goes through a number of case studies. The participants work through those and discuss how those incidents can be avoided in the future.”

As of November 2019, the IQA has realigned the QMCS framework with the NSW program to mirror the benchmark of CPD hours and the categories of learning. “The framework is quite malleable,” Fahey explained. “It requires set professional development hours, prescribed across certain topics as run in NSW, and other states may require a certificate or a diploma or certain units. The framework is now very adaptable to what the states require and is clearer for participants to engage with.”

Although the 2020 certification year (which is a calendar year) has begun, applications for the QMCS may be submitted at any time and are assessed by the CP Committee. More information about the QMCS program is available at the IQA website: quarry.com.au

ENGAGING THE WORKFORCE Fahey said the IQA board is very focused on servicing the needs of the industry over the next five years with a view to improving future workforce recruitment, development and retention. “There are going to be significant changes in technology, legislation, and health and safety so we have to find ways of attracting young people and doing things more efficiently and effectively. The IQA will play an important role in facilitating that discussion.

“This forms what we call the ‘softer’ skills part of the workforce – that’s everything from motivating a team to good communication and leadership. Training has an important part to play in an industry overall – but it’s also the performance of the business and the individuals

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EDUCATION

within that business that count.

“There are always challenges in attracting and retaining talent, so by examining workforce development and what it means, we can ask how we tap into some of the resources that we’ve never viewed before.

That might mean putting people at the frontline through leadership programs, or looking at our communities and identifying future workers.

“If you look outside of quarrying or the broader mining mandate, and you look globally at the roles of key professional organisations, it’s about galvanising consistent training as a benchmark of better practice. In the next few years, we are going to escalate that conversation to a global level. We are working closely with the IQUK and the International President’s Group to develop

IQ-Connect [see below]. The IQA’s strategic direction hinges on being responsive and relevant to industry needs.”

Fahey said that IQA branch meetings, the annual conference, health and safety seminars and other networking avenues – such as the Young Members and Women in Quarrying groups – will continue to “directly and indirectly deliver professional development. Having conversations with your peers and networks can really support your professional development – it aids formal and informal learning. I look at what the Women in Quarrying network has achieved.

We’ve engaged hundreds of women in the industry, many of whom had never before attended an IQA meeting. Providing access to professional development that they otherwise

wouldn’t access is really important. The Young Members Network, with the site tours and the exposure of young professionals to leaders and role models, is invaluable. The branches provide fantastic networking and they again deliver formal and informal education.

“So these words of ‘education’ and ‘professional development’ – you don’t have to be in a course or attending a webinar to be learning or developing yourself. Networking and being engaged in a professional organisation like the IQA delivers a lot of educational outcomes. There is a lot that the IQA adds to the industry from that infrastructure itself.”

To contact Kylie Fahey, email education@quarry.com.au •

IQ-CONNECT: A GLOBAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE The Institute of Quarrying’s IQ-Connect is a global project being established to improve the connection and education of the quarrying industry worldwide. The project is an initiative of the global Institute of Quarrying network and aims to enable connection with the wider international community of quarrying professionals.

Connecting the global extractive industry community with the established Institute of Quarrying (IQ) network, IQ-Connect provides a pathway to professional development and access to the IQ’s educational products, service and members.

Quarrying professionals not located within an existing IQ would be able to access professional development programs and content, connecting with other industry peers via IQ-Connect. It is intended that all existing members located within an existing IQ (UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong and Malaysia) would also have access to level one of IQ-Connect and its international community of extractive industry professionals.

Individuals from other countries who choose to be an e-associate member and subscribe to IQ-Connect will have tiered access to education material, depending on the level of subscription they purchase.

IQ-Connect is an initiative of the International Presidents Committee. The committee is made up of the presidents of all the international IQs and comprises: • Phil Redmond (Chairperson), Institute of Quarrying (UK).

32

Quarry March 2020

The quarrying world may become a little closer with the introduction of IQ-Connect.

• Shane Braddy, Institute of Quarrying Australia.

• Ng Heong-Chen, Hong Kong Branch of the Institute of Quarrying.

• Lee Kam Fatt, Institute of Quarrying Malaysia.

• Dean Torstonson, Institute of Quarrying New Zealand.

• Lazarus Meko, Institute of Quarrying Southern Africa.

IQA Past President Clayton Hill is the chair of the project team leading the implementation of IQ-Connect, which involves identifying leading content from all IQs. Testing of the beta site will occur in early

2020. When launched IQ-Connect will build an international community of quarrying professionals able to engage, share knowledge and experience regardless of their location.

It will also support growth in membership globally for the Institute and support the dissemination of best practice in key areas such as health and safety, production and leadership.

IQ-Connect will draw on content globally and be available via a learning management system. More information about the IQConnect website will become available in the coming months. •

EDUCATION

IQA UNVEILS AGENDA FOR 2020 WOMEN IN QUARRYING EVENTS

U

ntapped resources – including recognition of diversity and recruitment and retention of talented staff – will be the focus of the IQA’s annual Women in Quarrying conference agenda this year.

The Institute of Quarrying Australia will host the year’s first Women in Quarrying (WIQ) event in Queensland on Thursday 26 March, 2020 at the Glen Hotel, Eight Mile Plains, in Brisbane, the site of the inaugural conference in 2017. WIQ conferences will follow in Perth, Western Australia, on 22 May and Adelaide, South Australia, on 10 July.

About 100 delegates are expected to attend next month’s Queensland conference, including men and women from the quarrying and extractive industries, mid-senior management and frontline workers.

This year’s theme – “Untapped resources” – aims to recognise diversity within the quarrying industry, as well as an increasing need for different approaches to workforce development.

“I’m pretty excited about the theme this year,” IQA CEO Kylie Fahey said. “It’s about looking broader than women in quarrying, and recognising the diversity in our industry, and the growing need to address diversity and ensure we are taking steps to have as diverse teams as possible.

“We recognise that as a business, there are always challenges in attracting and retaining talent, so by trying to look at workforce development and what that means, we can ask how we tap into some of the resources that may be sitting in front of us and we’ve never viewed before.”

Fahey said that could include putting frontline staff members through leadership programs or looking at communities to determine where future workers could be sourced.

“That’s what that untapped resource theme is about. It’s about looking at our workforce and the challenges of our workforces differently and seeing how we can further our talent and developing and bring our teams together in different ways.

That’s quite exciting.”

A NEW LEVEL OF THINKING Fahey said the WIQ program is becoming

Proceedings from the 2019 NSW WIQ conference. Three WIQ conferences will this year be held in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide respectively.

more refined each year, with co-ordinators bringing leadership to the discussions. The Queensland draft program features Alex Fraser Group to discuss waste management and its integration with quarries.

“The discussion is lending itself to ensuring we are considering diversity and looking at what the key things are that the industry needs to be discussing, and we have the key speakers on those topics,” Fahey added.

“There will be people that attend this event that may not necessarily go to an IQA branch event or an IQA conference – and so it’s exposing them to a level of thinking and exposing them to a network and hopefully that sparks something for their role and what they can then contribute back into their workplaces.

“The WIQ network has done that very well and will build on that. We’re very keen to expand beyond that concept of women in quarrying because it is about the whole of the industry and making sure that we are looking quite broadly at our workforce and its diversity.”

BACKGROUND The inaugural WIQ conference was held in 2017. Through the WIQ network, the IQA has engaged hundreds of people to participate in networking and educational events for the first time. It has also provided leadership

opportunities for people to be engaged as speakers and on committees, and profiled career opportunities and leaders in the industry.

The 2020 conference aims to build on this success and specifically address how to harness one of the industry’s untapped resources – people.

This year the IQA will work with the WIQ network to look at the overall diversity of the quarrying industry, encourage younger people to engage, and look at ways of promoting rewarding career paths within the industry.

The Queensland conference on 26 March is being supported by Alex Fraser Group, Cleanaway, GroundProbe, Mindworx and Komatsu Australia, and each of these companies will supply presenters. Angela Derks, the managing director of Derks Institute of Health, and an expert in wellness, strategic advice, management, business mentoring and preventative solutions, will also be present, and there will be a panel discussion featuring WIQ stalwarts Michelle Connelly, Michelle Germanotta, Michelle Pawluck and Kelly Hurle.

For more information about the IQA’s Women in Quarrying conferences, email events@quarry.com.au or visit quarry.com.au •

By Myles Hume

Quarry March 2020 33

SMART BUSINESS

SANDVIK CASTS SPOTLIGHT ON DIGITALISATION OF SECTOR

Q

uarrying companies are at risk of losing out to savvy operators if they fail to embrace data analytics, machine learning and automation technology, according to presenters at a Sandvik-hosted conference into digitalisation of the sector.

The topics were the focus of presentations at the Digitalisation in Mining event hosted by the mining and rock technology company in Brisbane on 3 and 4 December, 2019.

The two-day summit showcased best practice examples of digitalisation, attracting about 300 leaders from the mining, construction and quarrying industries in Australia, Japan and Indonesia.

Steve Franklin is the CEO and principal consultant of Cement and Aggregate Consulting, a company that aims to build better quarries through digital innovation.

After attending the conference, he said the message was clear – innovate or lose to someone else who will.

“The mining industry is rapidly embracing digitalisation in many forms, including autonomous haulage and drilling, as well as through artificial intelligence and machine learning,” Franklin said.

“This is happening now and has proven valuable in many applications - this is a big opportunity for the quarry industry.”

Franklin said one presentation featured a Perth company that operated a machine underground from another location using the commercial internet for communication.

Another example was a New South Wales underground mine that reduced its production costs by 24 per cent after implementing a fully autonomous operation.

Despite the topics of discussion, Franklin said he was surprised to learn that only about seven quarry-related delegates attended.

“There were a whole range of quite pragmatic, tough mining business managers, and yet they were unanimous in their support for digitalisation in their operations,” Franklin said.

“That same interest and passion is not in the quarrying industry where we see tremendous benefits from those types of technologies.”

The event featured key industry figures who explained the first-hand benefits of 34

Quarry March 2020

The recent Sandvik Digitalisation in Mining conference provided best practice examples of digitalisation.

automation and process optimisation solutions, as well as the change in mindset necessary to adopt innovation.

In his presentation, Pat Boniwell, managing director of Byrnecut Australia, said operators could only get the best out of their facilities through a fundamental understanding of each individual process.

“New technology, automation, data transfer and analysis will all assist us in increasing the utilisation of our resources,” Boniwell said.

“Data is essential, but if it is not being looked at then we are just gathering data for the sake of it.

“We need to continue to increase the levels of engagement between all stakeholders.

We are doomed to failure unless we take our people with us and are prepared to question and be challenged.”

PETRA Data Science CEO Dr Penny Stewart discussed the future of machine learning, which can help companies simulate their operations to increase mine productivity, efficiency and yield.

She said the technology can show engineers and supervisors how to reproduce their “best performance” around the clock.

The event also featured a presentation

by Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology president Henrik Ager who explained

Dr Penny Stewart, of PETRA Data Science (right), with Christine Gibbs of Austmine at the Sandvik Digitalisation in Mining event.

why sustainability is critical for long-term performance.

“Improving productivity and greenhouse gas emissions will be the best way for us to add value for our customers,” he said.

“My view is that the more we link our sustainability targets to normal business targets and find ways to combine them to achieve a common good, the better chance we have to deliver on them.” •

By Myles Hume

IQA NEWS

Frank Pedretti oversaw the $4 million plant upgrade at Lobethal Quarry, which he managed for 22 years.

FRANK PEDRETTI:

SIMPLE IDEAS WITH BIG IMPACT Frank Pedretti’s reputation for mixing his sound technical knowledge with an unrelenting passion for quarrying has earned him the title as the 2019 IQA Quarry Manager of the Year. The Boral manager reflects on career achievements that have led him to this point.

T

he adage “to stand still is to go backwards” is one that is pertinent to quarrying. For operations to demonstrate best practice and maximise productivity, they need an innovator and visionary at the helm with the determination to see projects to the end.

Frank Pedretti is an operator who, according to his peers, boasts these credentials plus more. As such, the experienced quarry manager and mentor is the deserved recipient of the 2019 IQA Quarry Manager of the Year Award (less than 10 full-time employees category – or <10FTE).

The quarry support manager for Boral in South Australia (SA) and former manager of Lobethal Quarry received the prestigious accolade at the IQA 2019 Conference in Geelong. Each year the award, sponsored

by Metso, recognises an individual quarry operator who has shown personal commitment and leadership in occupational health and safety (OHS) and demonstrated

broad industry knowledge of areas of safety, risk, environment and operations.

According to his colleagues, Pedretti is renowned for once leading the most engaged and high performing team within Boral’s SA business. He has also carved out a reputation for implementing low cost continuous improvements. His simple ideas have had a big impact on safety and productivity across numerous Boral operations.

“In my final years of working, to get this award is really satisfying and has put the icing on the cake of my career. As much as I want to retire, I enjoy and love what I do,” the 66-year-old said, after being nominated by his Boral colleagues.

For Pedretti, receiving the award is the ultimate validation of a career that began in 1975 as a 21-year-old driller. Back then, he left his home in Broken Hill, on the western border of New South Wales, for SA to work for Boral, known as Quarry Industries at the time, before venturing into concrete production.

A few years later, in 1984, he realised a brighter future awaited in quarrying, prompting his return to Boral. The move set him on the path to becoming an integral part of the company’s SA business where today his 36 years of industry expertise are not only sought out by other quarry managers, but by people in all levels of the company.

RAISING THE STANDARD One of Pedretti’s proudest achievements has been his 22-year tenure as manager of Lobethal Quarry in the Adelaide Hills, a position he departed in July 2018 to assume his current mentoring role as Boral’s SA quarry support manager.

Under his tutelage, Lobethal was transformed into an automated, highly efficient operation that is recognised as the cleanest and safest fixed plant area within Boral’s SA business.

A major factor in this transformation was a $4 million plant upgrade in 2015. Pedretti oversaw Quarry March 2020 35

IQA NEWS

“Seven years later and they still use them to carry around these plates that can weigh anywhere from 40kg to 100kg,” he said.

“I’m a believer in people. Every idea doesn’t always work, but it’s about listening and communicating. Being positive and having trust in the team and understanding their needs.”

Frank Pedretti (left) was presented with the 2019 IQA Quarry Manager of the Year Award by Anita Waihi, capital sales specialist for aggregates for Metso, the award sponsor.

the project management and delivered on time and on budget with no injuries.

“We had a very old crushing plant, part of it came from when they built Tullamarine Airport, so that’s how old it was,” he said.

“We eventually built a new crushing plant that was fully automated, so the operators can sit in the crusher cabin and operate it from a screen rather than walking around and pushing buttons.”

According to Pedretti, a key feature of the plant was its programmable logic controller (PLC) system that automatically controlled the speed of material being fed into the crusher.

This reduced spills and ensured optimum crusher operation. “It keeps the crushers choke-fed so you get a better shape and a better product,” he said. The Lobethal upgrade also involved an integrated water spray system for dust reduction, which was automatically activated when motors and beltweighers detected extra loading on the conveyors.

As a result, under Pedretti’s guidance, Lobethal Quarry led operational equipment effectiveness (OEE) in Boral Australia, consistently achieving more than 90 per cent OEE. From a strategic perspective, he also worked closely with Boral’s National Resource Group to understand the quality of the reserve at Lobethal and was instrumental in identifying new areas of extraction and management of overburden.

“Everything we processed was a 36

Quarry March 2020

sellable product, right from the dust to the aggregates,” Pedretti said. “The only waste we generated was when we washed the stone at Lobethal, which created a fine slurry, but in that instance we let that dry out to be blended back into a road base material.”

SHAPING SAFETY CULTURE Pedretti prides himself on prioritising safety ahead of productivity. He was a key figure in shaping the safety culture at Lobethal, which is yet to experience a lost time injury [LTI] incident in five years.

He ensures his team is aware of potential hazards before they begin a job by encouraging them to observe their worksite.

“Striving for safety is a very important part [of my job] and something I’ll continue to drive until I retire. Don’t say you’re going to fix it the next day.”

According to his peers, Pedretti sets high standards and is uncompromising in this approach. Hence, he leads an inclusive culture to ensure no potential improvements go unmissed.

An example of this was the moment a team leader approached him concerned with lifting heavy wear plates into the crushing plant. They could only rely on wrapping the hand around the edge of the plate, leading to potential pinch points or injury. Pedretti listened and improved the safety of this manual lifting procedure by implementing magnetic plate grabs, making them easier to handle.

LEADING ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Due to Lobethal Quarry’s location in the Adelaide Hills, the site is frequently exposed to rainfall, posing a significant water management challenge.

Sustainable water management is a key environmental focus at Lobethal Quarry, as well as the removal and reshaping of overburden.

The quarry is licensed to receive concrete returns, so Pedretti devised a plan to use tens of thousands of cubic metres of virgin materials – which were destined for landfill – to build concrete spoon drains along the haul road network. The measure has prevented erosion and improved the quality of wastewater from the quarry.

With no mains water, the quarry is now able to control the flow of water into the pit before it is used for dust suppression purposes and in the production of road base.

Pedretti also spied an opportunity to use the recycled concrete to prevent trip hazards around the site. The recycled material has been laid under crushing and screening plant to make it the cleanest and safest fixed plant area in Boral’s SA business.

“Lobethal is a very wet part of SA, so being a wet plant and always having a lot of spill, it took a lot of time to clean up. Now by hosing the concrete down it keeps the plant clean and tidy, there are no trip hazards and they have nice concrete to walk around on instead of sloppy mud,” he said.

“I got a lot of feedback from people visiting the site who couldn’t believe how tidy it was, just because of the housekeeping of all of my guys. It’s something I also installed in my team, including with their machinery and vehicles. The bottom line is they probably spend more time in and around these machines than they do at home, so I ask them to treat everything as if it’s their own.”

DRIVING INDUSTRY IMPROVEMENT Despite his achievements at Lobethal, Pedretti’s fingerprints can be found on innovative solutions in other areas of the Boral business.

In 1996, while still managing other quarries in SA, Pedretti was asked to lead a Boral project to reopen the Mount Bundey Quarry, 100km southeast of Darwin, Northern Territory, .

The operation was contracted to supply sealing and concrete aggregate and road base for infrastructure related to the construction of the Darwin to Adelaide railway line.

“I used to fly in and out while also juggling my work managing at Lobethal and Murray Bridge,” he said.

His expertise was also outsourced to Boral’s Murray Bridge Quarry in SA where he oversaw the installation of a solar system to power the weighbridge and offices, as well as the development of a water recycling system.

With Murray Bridge being a sales-only site, the team reduced operating costs and power and water consumption to almost nil.

The work earned Pedretti and his team a Cement Concrete and Aggregates (CCAA) National Environmental Innovation Award in 2017, culminating in one of his proudest accomplishments.

Elsewhere, at the Stirling North Quarry in SA, Pedretti demonstrated his shrewd streak following a sales inquiry related to thermal sand for the Lincoln Gap Wind Farm near Port Augusta.

The operation had the necessary low conductivity sand in its reserve but could not automatically take on the contract because it was running at full capacity to supply aggregate for other customers. Pedretti swiftly organised a contractor screen to process the pit material and produce the sand. It met the customer’s requirements and was used to cover the high voltage cables connecting the wind turbines to the transformers.

In total, 7500 tonnes of material was supplied to the project, with the leftover rock sent to Stirling North’s main plant to produce concrete aggregates for an additional six weeks. Pedretti’s ability to spot the opportunity generated $124,000 in additional revenue.

“We managed to sell just under 10,000 tonnes of material we weren’t expecting,” he said. “A bit of luck came our way, I suppose, as well as a little bit of knowledge of the sites that we look after.”

MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION Such examples demonstrate why Boral has been so keen not to lose Pedretti to retirement too quickly. In 2018, the company recognised this and – as a strategic move – redeployed him from his post at Lobethal Quarry to his current role as SA quarry support manager.

Frank Pedretti (3rd from left) presents a copy the of the CCAA National Environmental Innovation Award at the sales-only Murray Bridge Quarry where the team reduced operating and power costs, and water consumption to almost nil through in a sustainability project.

Now he mentors six quarry managers in the state and is often called upon by experienced operators for advice.

In appointing him to this role, his direct manager at the time, Boral SA quarries operations manager Rodney Kazem, said: “Frank’s passion for what he does is contagious and he has taken on what initially was a daunting task for him and fully embraced the opportunities it has given him to work with different people and sites. His redeployment and the expansion of his role has been extremely successful.”

Pedretti’s new role takes him to sites across SA – from Whyalla down to Mount Gambia on the southeast Victorian border. While it may take some time to get used to the driving (he has clocked 90,000km in 18 months), he feels at home advising operators on ways they can improve their sites.

“When you get close to retirement you can tend to get a bit stale, but since I’ve been promoted into this new role it’s given me a new lease of life and has got the brain back into gear,” he said.

As part of his role, Pedretti has trained his replacement at Lobethal Quarry and has recruited a new manager at Whyalla Quarry.

He has trained them on several disciplines, including safety management systems, customer management, budgets and costs, preventative maintenance and Boral systems.

“The manager who’s taken over Lobethal [James Magarey], I don’t know how many times he has thanked me. He says he’s walked into a really good site, with a great safety culture. But I can’t take all of the credit, a lot of it is the guys you work with, I can only

point them in the right direction. I started the job and now they’re finishing it,” he said.

At Whyalla, Pedretti has also helped implement site improvements that separate pedestrians and vehicles at the weighbridge carpark. He also helped widen the outgoing roadway so truck drivers can safely tarp their trucks when exiting the weighbridge. He also oversaw plant improvements, which raised a cable tray by 1.5 metres, allowing better access for workers and a skid steer to keep the site clean.

WHAT NEXT? When Pedretti was presented with his award at the IQA’s 62nd annual conference, he received a framed certificate of his IQA Quarry Manager of the Year Award and a $3000 contribution towards a quarrying-related study tour.

He plans to travel to New Zealand later this year to attend the QuarryNZ 2020 conference, which will be held in Wellington from 15 to 17 July, 2020.

He hopes he can continue to motivate other quarry managers until he retires.

“I want to drive around the quarries in New Zealand and see their best practices and how they manage safety,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll learn something I didn’t know in my 36 years [working in the industry] and also see what they do better, to bring ideas back to South Australia.”

For more information about the IQA Awards, and how to apply for an award or nominate a peer, visit quarry.com.au, click on ‘Networking’ and then ‘Awards’. •

By Myles Hume

Quarry March 2020 37

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SMART BUSINESS

BUILDING AND SUSTAINING

AN ENVIRONMENT OF TRUST IN BUSINESS A critical factor in any organisation’s prosperity is the creation of an atmosphere of belief and confidence across all aspects of the business. Mike Cameron explains why the trust equation is at the core of this success.

I

n today’s world of a Royal Commission into the financial sector, glib doubletalk and broken election promises from politicians, greedy and fraudulent behaviour by corporate leaders, and more, we are rapidly becoming a nation of cynics who are crying out for strong leadership and a return to old school thinking, such as trust, values and ethics.

It is a fundamental responsibility of all leaders to set an example and ensure that they review and modify, where necessary, corporate directives, leadership behaviour, communication style and team interactions – internally, with suppliers/contractors, and the community.

This article highlights three areas to start that renewal process: 1. Trustworthiness.

2. P riming for trust through Conversational Essentials®.

3. Understanding the value of coaching and effectively applying those skills.

Finally, by way of supporting some selfreflection, I’ve concluded by highlighting the key takeaways from my previous articles on the “Intelligences”: • Conversational.

• Emotional.

• Management.

THE TRUST EQUATION Charles H Green and David Maister (2000) co-wrote a book entitled The Trusted Advisor, in which there is a remarkable evaluation tool that they refer to as the Trust Equation.1 When one thinks of trust and what it means, you quickly realise that it encompasses many things. The word “trust” is used to: • Interpret what people say.

• Describe behaviours.

• Decide if we feel comfortable sharing information.

• Indicate whether we feel other people have our interests at heart.

T=

CR I Credibility

Trustworthiness

Reliability

Intimacy

S

Self-Orientation Figure 1. The Trust Equation.

Trust relationships are vital to the way we do business today. In fact, the level of trust in business relationships, whether internal with employees or colleagues or external with clients and partners, is the greatest determinant of success.

The challenge is having a conceptual framework and analytical way of evaluating and understanding trust. Without the proper framework for evaluating trust, there is no actionable way to improve our trustworthiness.

The Trust Equation (Figure 1) is a deconstructive, analytical model of trustworthiness that can be easily understood and used to help both yourself and your organisation. It uses four objective variables to measure trustworthiness: • Credibility.

• Reliability.

• Intimacy.

• Self-orientation.

These four variables are combined to

create the above equation.

The T in this model stands for trust quotient. It is a calculated number (like your IQ or EQ) that benchmarks your trustworthiness against the four variables.

Let’s dig into each variable a bit more.

THE FOUR VARIABLES 1. Credibility has to do with the words we speak. In a sentence we might say, “I can trust what she says about intellectual property. She’s very credible on the subject.”

2. Reliability has to do with actions. We might say, “If he says he’ll deliver the product tomorrow, I trust him, because he’s dependable.”

3. Intimacy refers to the safety or security that we feel when entrusting someone with something. We might say, “I can trust her with that information. She’s never violated my confidentiality before, and she would never embarrass me.”

Quarry March 2020 39

SMART BUSINESS

ALL ABOUT PEOPLE The Trust Equation covers the most common meanings of trust that you encounter in everyday business interactions. What is important to remember is that the meanings are almost entirely personal, not institutional.

People rarely give over their trust to institutions; really, they trust other people.

While companies are often described as credible and reliable (the first two components of The Trust Equation), it is really the people within the companies that make those companies what they are. The variables of intimacy and self-orientation are almost entirely about people.

Trust in business and selling requires good “scores” on all four variables in the Trust Equation. You want high credibility, reliability and intimacy, and low self-orientation.

Living the four trust values is the best way to increase your trustworthiness.

The Trust Equation provides a scientific, analytical and actionable framework for how 40

Quarry March 2020

CONVERSATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

• Supports individuals or teams to achieve their personal or team goals.

• Supports personal growth and awareness of choice.

• Maximises potential.

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT

COACH

•P rovides advice.

•H as expert knowledge on the subject.

CONVERSATIONAL ESSENTIALS

FACILITATOR

• Supports teams to achieve their goals.

• Supports change processes.

TRAINER

•T eaches others.

• Expert on the subject.

•M onitors progress through performance assessment.

Figure 2. The coaching quadrant.

TRUST CHANGES REALITY TRUST: we see reality more clearly and are more open to engage.

I

PREFRONTAL CORTEX Oxytocin

Reveal more Expect the unexpected Assume the best Look with an open heart Interpret with facts Tell the truth Yes to truth-telling

Far Sighted

AMYGDALA HIJACK Cortisol

Long-Range, Inclusive View

Reveal less Expect mistakes Assume the worst Look with caution Interpret with fear Tell secrets Yes people

Short Sighted

DISTRUST: we see reality through threats and fear and close down.

Near Sighted

4. Self-orientation refers to the person’s focus. In particular, whether the person’s focus is primarily on himself or herself, or on the other person. We might say, “I can’t trust him on this deal. I don’t think he cares enough about me, he’s focused on what he gets out of it.” Or more commonly: “I don’t trust him. I think he’s too concerned about how he’s appearing, so he’s not really paying attention.”

The Trust Equation has one variable in the denominator and three in the numerator.

It is worthwhile noting that to increase the value of the factors in the numerator increases the value of trust. To increase the value of the denominator (self-orientation) decreases the value of trust.

Self-orientation, which sits alone in the denominator, is the most important variable in the Trust Equation.

Trust Advisor (Associates LLC) developed the Trust Equation formula this way on purpose. For example, if a salesperson with low self-orientation is free to completely and honestly focus on the customer – not for their own sake, but for the sake of the customer. Such a focus is rare among salespeople – or people in general for that matter. Nonetheless, the truth in selling is that you succeed more at sales when you stop trying to sell. When all you focus upon is helping prospects, those potential customers tend to trust you more and buy from you more as well.

DIFFERENT MINDSETS LISTENING

WE

Figure 3. How the Conversational Intelligence® quotient model can change reality.

you can help yourself improve your life or your organisation/business.2

CONVERSATIONAL ESSENTIALS •B eing open to influence: Connecting without judgement; engaging and listening to what others are saying and even thinking, rather than preparing for what we want to say next.

•P riming for trust: Creating a healthy mental, emotional and conversational environment that activates higher levels of partnering.

Think of this essential as the foundation of Conversational Intelligence®.3 Trust is

when we believe others will deliver on their promises. Distrust is when we doubt others are telling the truth and assume they will not deliver on their promises. Priming for trust enables us to work as partners and opens us up to achieve higher levels of success with others. Trust involves actively bringing the following behaviours into your interactions with others: • Transparency.

• Relationship.

• Understanding.

• Shared success.

• Truth telling.

Questions which you/we have no answers:

Being in a mindset of discovery, and cocreating a space of sharing and discovering.

Listening to connect, not judge, confirm or reject: Focusing attention on the other person; opening yourself up to connect to the other person’s aspiration and “view of the world” in a non-judgmental way.

Sustaining conversational agility: Moving in and out of conversations with ease and agility; create new “conversational space” that elevates trust and invites wisdom and insight to emerge.

Double-clicking: Uncover and explore what is in the other person’s mind, gaining clarity and deeper understanding of others’ perspectives, their deeply held beliefs, and their unique points of view.

Understanding the importance of effective communication – as a key management competency – is crucial, but mastering and applying the essential fundamentals of Conversational Intelligence® is the key to success in the leadership role.

THE VALUE, APPLICATION OF COACHING The following coaching model will be of real value, especially if you take Michael Bungay Stanier4 and Judith E Glaser’s advice to say less and, when you do talk, ask questions for which you have no answers (Figure 2).

Finally, when working on team trust, shared values and ethical behaviour, please support your own learning and personal growth through reflecting on key aspects from the following abstracts from my previous three articles on the ‘Intelligences’.

CONVERSATIONAL INTELLIGENCE® Author and organisational anthropologist, Judith E Glaser referred to Conversational Intelligence as the key to success in life and business. Her book Conversational Intelligence clearly defined and articulated that it is not about how smart you are, but how open you are to learn new, effective and powerful conversational rituals that prime the brain for trust, partnership, and mutual success (see Figure 3).

• Emotional Intelligence (EI) • What exactly is Emotional Intelligence (EI)? Most thinkers on the subject note these factors: • Self-awareness – the recognition of one’s own strengths and weaknesses.

• Self-regulation – the ability to manage emotion and express it appropriately and usefully.

• Motivation – being driven internally, rather than just working for a pay cheque.

The POLC Model for organising your daily/weekly management activities Your daily/weekly/monthly/annual FOCUS

Behavioural Competencies

CONCEPTUAL & STRATEGIC Thinking & Evaluating

PLAN

ORGANISE

LEAD

CONTROL/ MONITOR

LEADERSHIP

SUPERVISION

Behavioural Competencies

TACTICAL & OPERATIONAL Doing & Adapting

MANAGEMENT Figure 4. The four behavioural competencies of the Plan, Organise, Lead and Control (POLC) model.

• Empathy – the ability to note and respond to other people’s motivations and needs.

• People skills – the ability to win others’ respect and build rapport.

These elements fall into one of two groupings: interpersonal intelligence (turned outward, interacting with others) and intrapersonal intelligence (turned inward, understanding and managing oneself).

Daniel Goleman (2017) discussed strategies to become more emotionally intelligent in a WOBI presentation now shown on YouTube.5

MANAGEMENT INTELLIGENCE® Management Intelligence is having the ability to lead “change” through effective communication and interpersonal awareness. It is also about evaluating the challenges, implementing strategies, and empowering and developing team members.

• GR Jones (1995) defined “management” as the planning, organising, leading, and controlling of resources to achieve goals effectively and efficiently (Figure 4).

• Peter Drucker (1994) referred to “efficiency” as doing things right, and “effectiveness” as doing the right thing.

In other words, it is not a question of how much but rather how well the organisation achieves its goals.

• US President Dwight D Eisenhower

(1944) stated that “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because that person wants to do it”.

• Lars Sudmann (2019) in a recent TEDxUCLouvain talk6 discussed how most people go into top positions with good intentions, but those often crumble due to the demands - and perks - of the job. He recommended that, if you want to succeed, you should devote some time and energy to self-leadership. • Mike Cameron is an IQA member and the principal of Strategically Yours. Visit strategically.com.au Endnotes 1) Green CH. Founder, Trusted Advisor (Associates LLC). https://trustedadvisor.com/why-trustmatters/understanding-trust/understanding-thetrust-equation 2) Green CH. Founder, Trusted Advisor (Associates LLC). The trust quotient and the science behind it. https://trustedadvisor.com/why-trust-matters/ understanding-trust/the-trust-quotient-and-thescience-behind-it 3) Glaser JE. Conversational Intelligence®: How great leaders build trust and get extraordinary results. Routledge, First Edition, 2016. ISBN-10: 1629561436; ISBN-13: 978-1629561431.

4) Stanier MB. The Coaching habit … Say less, ask more and change the way you lead forever. Page Two; First Edition (2016). ISBN-10: 0978440749; ISBN-13: 978-0978440749.

5) Goleman D. Strategies to become more emotionally intelligent. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=pt74vK9pgIA 6) Sudman L. Great leadership starts with selfleadership. https://youtu.be/vlpKyLklDDY

Quarry March 2020 41

2020 IQA EVENTS NSW CENTRAL WEST SUB-BRANCH June (TBA)

Dinner meeting

NSW HUNTER SUB-BRANCH May (TBA)

Breakfast meeting

NSW ILLAWARRA SUB-BRANCH March (TBA) May (TBA)

Weekend seminar Dinner meeting

NSW NORTHERN REGION SUB-BRANCH May (TBA)

Dinner meeting

QUEENSLAND BRANCH 18 March 26 March 15 May 12 June 24 July 19 Aug 8 Oct

Dinner meeting, Rockhampton WIQ Queensland conference Annual Golf Day Quarrying Safety & Health Conference, Brisbane Annual Golf Day, Rockhampton Dinner Meeting & Branch AGM, Brisbane Annual Breakfast Meeting, Brisbane

21 Oct

Quarrying Safety & Health Seminar, Rockhampton 20 Nov Annual Breakfast Meeting, Brisbane

NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH 11 March Dinner Meeting, Cairns 21 April Dinner Meeting, Townsville 19 June Quarrying Safety & Health Seminar, Townsville 10 July Annual Golf Day, Cairns 26 Aug Dinner Meeting & Branch AGM, Townsville 9-11 Sept Construction Materials Industry Conference (CMIC20), Brisbane 25 Sept Annual Golf Day, Townsville 30 Sept Dinner Meeting, Cairns/ Tablelands 14 Oct Dinner Meeting, Mackay 27 Nov Christmas Function, Townsville

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRANCH 1 May 10 July

Dinner meeting, Adelaide IQ SA Conference, Adelaide W Pavilion

TASMANIA 29 Sept

ite tour and branch AGM, S Launceston

VICTORIAN BRANCH 12 March Autumn Technical Night

VICTORIAN SUB-BRANCH March May

Dinner meeting Dinner meeting

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BRANCH 20 March L awn Bowls & Sundowner, South Perth Bowling Club 22 May WA Branch WIQ Beyond Diversity Conference

All dates and venues for the above branches are correct at time of press. Not all branches had confirmed their activities/ dates. For further information about IQA branch activities, contact your local branch representative (see IQA branch contacts on page 47) or visit quarry.com.au

PDP WORKSHOPS & EVENTS To register for the courses below and for further information, visit: quarry.com.au/Education/ProfessionalDevelopmentProgramsCalendar.aspx

CMIC20 Construction Materials Industry Conference Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 9-11 September 2020 The IQA and CCAA are again partnering to present the joint Construction Materials Industry Conference (CMIC20) in Brisbane.

The conference program will include innovation, keynote, and plenary sessions over three days from a range of experts and industry speakers. A trade exhibition will supplement the program. The theme of this biennial conference is “Adapting to a new environment”. Trade exhibition and sponsorship packages are currently available. For more information, contact Jennifer Milward, at the Conference Secretariat, email: events@quarry.com.au

42

Quarry March 2020

LEARNING FROM DISASTERS PDP Albion Rail Park, Illawarra, NSW 5 March 2020 Hunter, NSW 19 March 2020 The IQA is approved by the NSW Resources Regulator to deliver this one-day program, which qualifies as part of the minimum of 90 hours professional development required of quarry managers holding a NSW Practicing Certificate over five (5) years under the Maintenance of Competence Scheme.

It will teach participants how to recognise recurrent patterns of failure linked to significant work health and safety incidents, understand how identifying and managing principle hazard links to reducing risk, and recognise the causal role human, organisational and critical factors play in work health and safety incidents.

The course will also build an understanding

of roles, responsibilities and mechanisms that foster a safe work culture, enable quarry managers to identify contemporary risk factors and vulnerabilities in organisational safety management systems, and develop risk control options and strategies that best manage work, health and safety risks.

CONEXPO-CONAGG 2020 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA 10-14 March 2020 The largest construction expo in North America, the triennial CONEXPO-CONAGG promises more than 232,000m2 of exhibits and new products from more than 2800 equipment manufacturers, specialising in mining, quarrying, aggregates processing, earthmoving, concrete, asphalt, trucking, rail, and more.

There are also more than 150 information and education sessions. The event has

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

in the past been attended by more than 130,000 unique visitors from 170 countries, including Australia. For further information about registrations and exhibiting, visit conexpoconagg.com

BULK2020 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 1-3 April 2020 BULK2020 will bring together and showcase the entire bulk handling industry.

The trade expo will showcase the latest in bulk materials handling equipment and technologies, including crushing equipment, screening equipment, blending/loading equipment, bulk haulage and earthmoving equipment, buckets and attachments, conveyors/conveying equipment, dust control systems, feeders/feeding equipment, stockpilers, washing equipment, among others.

BULK2020 has industry support from the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling, who will be working with BULK2020 organisers on an industry conference to occur at the event. Quarry is a media partner of BULK2020.

For more information, and for exhibiting inquiries, contact Rob O’Byran: BULK2020 business development manager, tel 03 9690 8766, mobile 0411 067 795, email rob.obryan@primecreative.com.au or visit bulkhandlingexpo.com.au

MEGATRANS 2020 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 1-3 April 2020 MEGATRANS facilitates cross-industry collaboration in a multi-dimensional and integrated conference and exhibition for the freight and logistics industry.

Held in conjunction with BULK2020 (see above, one ticket entry will give recipients access to both exhibitions), MEGATRANS will showcase the latest in artificial intelligence, robotics, automated racking, telematics and route optimisation, warehouse automation, intelligent fleet systems, blockchain, the Internet of Things, big data and advanced analytics.

For more information, and for exhibiting inquiries, contact Rob O’Byran, BULK2020 business development manager, tel 03 9690 8766, mobile 0411 067 795, or email rob.obryan@primecreative.com.au or visit megatrans.com.au

INTRODUCTION TO QUARRYING PDP

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WPDP

Hunter, NSW 2 April 2020 This PDP has been designed to provide participants with an introduction to the quarrying industry, including the development approvals, quarrying processes, products, and people and positions. It is suitable for new employees or managers in the industry, sales staff in quarry support roles, and technical staff.

14 May, 2020 All Australian and New Zealand quarrying legislation either implies or specifies that quarrying operations must have a plan to respond to emergency situations. Those plans must be appropriately comprehensive, resourced, tested and updated.

This webinar is designed to introduce principles and methodologies of quarry emergency planning and response, including: definitions, interpretations and legislative requirements; developing emergency management and response plans; resourcing emergency management and response; testing emergency management and response plans; and emergency management and response plan review and update.

HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR TEAM TO IMPROVE SAFETY WPDP 2 April 2020 Better safety outcomes start with better communication. Communication is a key part of relaying safety standards to employees, identifying hazards, ensuring teams understand procedures and how to stay safe while working.

Ensuring the way you communicate with your teams is actually effective can improve safety outcomes. Participants will learn how to reinforce messages, give employees feedback (both negative and positive) and engage in two-way dialogue on safety.

QUARRY PRODUCTS TECHNICAL TRAINING PDP Hunter, NSW 2 April, 2020 This PDP has been designed to provide participants with knowledge relating to specifications, quarry product test methods, quality control, basic statistical measures, technical characteristics, and the influence of quarry products on concrete, asphalt, seals, bases and fills, and other rock products.

It is suitable for technical staff and testers, quarry managers and supervisors, sales and tendering staff, and area and regional managers.

INTRO TO SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS WPDP 23 April, 2020 This webinar provides an introduction to Safety Management Systems (SHMS) for small mines and quarries.

Attendees will get an understanding of what a SHMS should look like for a small quarry, share ideas with other quarry operators, receive help with SHMS elements, and receive information on how to improve their site SHMS.

HILLHEAD 2020 Hillhead Quarry Buxton, Derbyshire UK 23-25 June 2020 Hillhead 2020 is one of the largest outdoor trade exhibitions of its kind in the world and considered the quarrying industry’s showpiece globally.

The biennial event is held in a former working quarry in Buxton, Derbyshire.

The 2018 event enjoyed record crowds and exhibits, with 546 exhibitors and almost 20,000 unique visitors from across, the UK, Europe, Russia, Asia and Australia.

The event traditionally comprises outdoor and indoor exhibition areas, along with four zones where there are live demonstrations of working plant and equipment. Attendance is free to all visitors.

Further information about exhibiting can be found online at the show’s website: hillhead.com

MINEXPO INTERNATIONAL Las Vegas, Nevada, USA 28-30 September 2020 MINExpo International is the world’s largest and most comprehensive global mining event, bringing together worldwide industry leaders who are ready to purchase the latest equipment and services, see innovative new technologies, meet face to face with exhibitors and make valuable new connections. The expo will showcase cutting edge equipment, innovations, services and technologies. For more information, visit minexpo.com Quarry March 2020 43

IQA NEWS FROM THE CEO

RECOGNISING THE DIVERSITY IN OUR INDUSTRY Like all Australians I am lost for words in expressing my sadness and sheer disbelief over the bushfire crisis. Everyone I speak to has either been directly impacted or knows someone firsthand who has. We all have friends and family who have fought or are continuing to fight the fires as first responders, lost loved ones and had property damaged. There have been many headlines on the bravery and commitment of the firefighters, police, ambulance and state emergency services at this time and their service to the community is truly heroic and our thanks goes out to them.

The IQA is entering into a strategic planning phase and looking at what the industry needs in the next five years and beyond. This process will see the board look to the future and set the IQA’s objectives. This cycle is critically important as we look for ways to remain relevant, respond to the changing needs of the industry and its workforce.

We continue to provide support through education and training to meet the everchanging needs and priorities of the industry. This includes looking at new ways to deliver education. There are global trends around social learning and life-long,

TRIO PROVIDES ENTERTAINING, PASSIONATE PRESENTATIONS AT WIQ LUNCHEON The Victorian branch’s Women In Quarrying (WIQ) Luncheon was hosted at the Season Botanic Gardens Hotel in Melbourne on 26 November, 2019. The attendees were treated to three wonderful, passionate speakers who spoke about their careers and experiences.

Dr Elizabeth Gibson is the general manager of the Construction Materials Processing Association (CMPA), which is dedicated to the representation and service of its members in the Victorian earth resources industry. Elizabeth gave an insight into her extensive background starting as a chemist in England, immigrating to Australia, and her roles held in Victoria to the present, 44

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life-wide learning. In today’s world we all need to constantly update, re-tool, re-think, and re-learn. At the same time, this learning is not often to a set curriculum. We are influenced by learning broadly throughout our day by informal interactions with others, through our own focused, self-directed efforts, and by the formal experiences that we associate with traditional education. All contribute to our learning and ultimately our performance.

New programs such as the release of awareness material and face to face training will help support learning outcomes around respirable crystalline silica (RCS).

Attracting and retaining diversity in the industry remains a key priority. The IQA’s WIQ network is focusing on the theme “Untapped resources”. This recognises the diversity in our industry and the growing need to approach workforce development in different ways as businesses face a number of challenges when attracting and retaining talent.

Through the WIQ network, the IQA has including: a senior research officer for CUB; the Principal Environmental Auditor (Land) for the Victorian EPA, where she was responsible for the Statutory Environmental Auditors program in Victoria; state manager of the Australian Government Analytical Laboratories (Federal Government); executive director of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute; and a project manager at the University of Melbourne. Elizabeth also obtained an MBA from Deakin University and is also, along with her family, an operational member of the Victorian Country Fire Authority.

Anita McCartney is currently the risk and strategy manager for Jetstar (Australia and New Zealand). Prior to commencing this role in July 2019, she was the group leader for WorkSafe’s Earth Resources program, where

successfully engaged hundreds of people to participate in networking and educational events for the first time, provided leadership opportunities for people to be engaged as speakers and on committees for the first time, and profiled amazing career opportunities and leaders in the industry.

The upcoming events in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth will look to promote the diversity in our industry and continue to engage a broad audience. I look forward to seeing you there!

KYLIE FAHEY CEO Institute of Quarrying Australia

Katelyn Duckworth volunteered herself to present at the luncheon when she learned Astec Australia would be sponsoring the event.

she led a state-based team of mining and quarrying inspectors. She is an experienced leader with a passion for health and safety, who is highly skilled in system safety,

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

Catherine Wood. Catherine has been the IQA’s Women in Quarrying network coordinator since 2016 but stepped down from the role in 2019. Catherine offered to stay on and assist with the co-ordination of this event. It was greatly appreciated and like me, the IQA is grateful for all the effort she put into this event and during her time in the network co-ordinator’s role.

By Jo Murray

CMIC20: ADAPTING TO A NEW ENVIRONMENT

CMPA general manager Dr Elizabeth Gibson gave an insight into her extensive professional background.

Anita McCartney’s passion for health, safety and the environment has taken her from Victoria to Cambodia and Nepal.

government emergency management, safety management systems and mining.

Anita described herself as a “serial overachiever”. While studying a Masters of Occupational Health, Safety & Environmental Management, she took on the role of work, health, safety and environment community manager for Centennial Mining during a six-month break from her career with WorkSafe. Anita has also done volunteer work in Cambodia and Nepal. Her first trip to Cambodia involved a building project where 10 women built a classroom for a small regional community over a five-week period. On her second visit, which lasted six months, she undertook an internship with the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime on child trafficking, seeing her move to an role with The Grey Man investigating child sex offences. Another volunteering project took her to Nepal for five weeks to be hands-on, rebuilding a school which was destroyed during the 2015

earthquake which killed 9000 people.

It was fantastic to have Astec Australia on board as the event sponsor. Astec’s account manager Adam Gordon said the company was excited to be a part of the WIQ Luncheon. Rather than delivering a “trade talk”, Katelyn Duckworth, Astec Australia’s NSW territory sales manager for aggregate and mining equipment, proceeded to discuss her journey, along with its trials and tribulations within our industry. At times the focus was on the inclusion of women, describing how she has dealt with some interesting moments, especially when on sites selling equipment and parts. When this opportunity to be a sponsor was presented to Astec Australia, Katelyn immediately put her hand up to present for us at our event – even telling her manager that she was the right person for the job! Katelyn is also a member of the IQA and is very passionate about women being in the industry.

I would like to make a special mention of

The IQA and Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA) will again partner to present the joint Construction Materials Industry Conference (CMIC20) in Brisbane from Wednesday 9 to Friday 11 September, 2020. The conference program will include innovation, keynote, and plenary sessions over the three days from a range of experts and industry speakers. A trade exhibition will supplement the program.

The conference will be held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), with other key Brisbane locations confirmed for the Welcome Reception and the Leadership Breakfast.

The themes of this biennial national construction materials sector conference is “Adapting to a new environment”. Australia’s construction materials sector provides essential materials for the community and has played a key role in Australia’s development as a nation. However, the operating environment for the industry is changing rapidly. Changing social expectations, changing technologies, more sophisticated supply chains, fluctuating economic conditions and increased expectations about climate change and sustainability are key elements in this change.

In such times, it is critical for leaders and professionals in the construction materials sector to have a deep understanding of this new operating environment. They must be able to properly navigate and understand these changes, and provide the necessary leadership to manage and drive change, to prepare for the future, and to adapt and thrive.

Through an engaging and informative program, delegates will hear from a blend of thought-provoking speakers and industry practitioners who will explore the key changes that are impacting on the construction materials sector and provoking questions. What are the Quarry March 2020 45

IQA NEWS challenges of attracting and retaining talent.

Through the WIQ network, the IQA has successfully engaged hundreds of people to participate in networking and educational events for the first time, provided leadership opportunities for people to be engaged as speakers and on committees for the first time, and profiled amazing career opportunities and leaders in the industry.

The BCEC will this year host CMIC 2020.

key changes affecting the construction materials sector? How does the industry present itself and its products? How do leaders and professionals in the industry exercise leadership with their workforce and customers? How can we lead the change, and not just be responsive to it? How is the industry selling itself? How can we lead the agenda?

Attendance at CMIC20 is a must! Ensure you don’t miss it – put these dates in your diary now.

The program is planned as follows: • Wednesday: Trade Exhibition; Innovation Sessions; Hitachi Welcome Reception (Queensland Art Gallery).

• Thursday: Trade Exhibition, Keynote and Plenary Sessions; Komatsu Gala Dinner (Plaza Ballroom, BCEC).

The 2020 conference aims to build on this success and specifically address how to harness one of the industry’s untapped resources – people. In 2020, the IQA will work with the WIQ network to look at the overall diversity of our industry, encourage younger people to engage, and look at ways of promoting the wonderful career paths within the industry as a whole.

The event is being supported by CPR Group, Boral, Groundwork Plus, Hy-Tec, the CCAA, 888 Crushing and Screening Equipment and Minprovise. There is a strong line-up of speakers, including Angela Derks, the CEO of Derks Institute of Health, and an expert in wellness, strategic advice, management, business mentoring and preventative solutions. A panel discussion will feature WIQ stalwarts Michelle Connelly, Michelle Germanotta, Michelle Pawluck and Kristin Devlin.

Further WIQ conferences will also be held later this year as follows:

• Friday: Leadership Breakfast (Howard Smith Wharves).

• 22 May: at Beaumonde on The Point, Perth, Western Australia.

Trade exhibition and sponsorship packages are currently available. For more information, contact Jennifer Milward, at the Conference Secretariat, email: events@quarry.com.au

• 10 July: at the Adelaide Pavilion, Adelaide, South Australia.

UNTAPPED RESOURCES: WOMEN IN QUARRYING CONFERENCES TO EMPHASISE THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY The IQA is proud to present the Annual Women in Quarrying (WIQ) Queensland Conference, to be held at the Glen Hotel, Eight Mile Plains, on Thursday 26 March, 2020.

About 100 delegates are expected to attend, including men and women from the quarrying and extractive industries, midsenior management and front line workers.

This year’s theme of “Untapped Resources” recognises diversity in the quarrying industry and the growing need to approach workforce development in different ways as businesses contend with the 46

Quarry March 2020

For more information, visit quarry.com.au or email: events@quarry.com.au

QUEENSLAND CONTINUES HEALTH AND SAFETY SEMINARS IN 2020 The IQA, the CCAA, and the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mining and Energy will again partner this year to present safety and health programs throughout the state in 2020 as follows: • Friday, 12 June: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.

• Wednesday, 17 June: The Ville, Townsville.

• Wednesday, 21 October: Rockhampton Leagues Club.

Full program details are available on the IQA website: quarry.com.au Trade and sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information, contact Jennifer Milward at the Queensland branch

secretariat, tel 0419 782 688, email: events@quarry.com.au

YOUNG MEMBERS VISIT MOUNT COOT-THA QUARRY The Brisbane Young Members Network (YMN), sponsored by Ausrocks, organised its final event for 2019 on 6 December.

There were 11 attendees including: Dale Brown (Ausrocks); Carl Morandy (Ausrocks); Darko Cvitanovic (Hanson); Michael Chan (Hanson); Nick Dennis (Hanson); Bryce Dyer (Hanson); Edward Lewis (Neilsen Group); Rob Blackhall (MSC Group); Sam Lyons (Groundwork Plus); Cameron Harper (Groundwork Plus); and Geoff Keogh (Fulton Hogan).

The Young Members met at the Ada Street Car Park at Mount Coot-tha, opposite the Botanical Gardens entrance, where attendees made brief introductions before making their way into the Brisbane City Council’s Mount Coot-tha Quarry where they met with quarry manager Robert Bell.

The tour commenced with an impressive combined presentation from Bell and Ausrocks mining engineer Dale Brown which covered the quarry’s history and evolution from the mid-19th century to the present day, its geotechnical aspects and challenges, mine planning details and potential end uses, and its involvement in nearby infrastructure projects such as the Legacy Way tunnel.

Robert provided a great overview of the quarry’s operations, detailing the yellow machine fleet, the crushing and screening plant, future capital works, typical production modes/products and product applications.

The presentation provided insight on how the council-owned quarry fits into the wider Brisbane economy and why the quarry is such an important asset – Mount Coot-tha Quarry mainly produces quality asphalt aggregates that are used in the building of Brisbane roads.

After the presentation, Robert took the group on a guided tour of the site, where the attendees had the opportunity to observe the fixed and mobile plant, the pit, and the tailings from the Legacy Way tunnel drilling operation which were used to build a ramp to access quality materials that were previously unreachable. Robert pointed out the existing geological faults and the control measures he has in place to ensure they are managed in addition to his water management plan.

The tour was extremely educational and

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

please contact Celia Pavri immediately on the contact details below.

On 22 May, the branch will be hosting a WIQ conference at Beaumonde on The Point. Headlined “Beyond diversity – Towards inclusion and equality”, the aim of this conference is to help build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices of our members – and to create a platform to further enhance equal and inclusive involvement of our members in the quarrying industry. Full details of the conference will be sent out in the next couple of weeks.

Mount Coot-tha Quarry manager Robert Bell (right of centre) with Brisbane Young Members on 6 December.

For information about the WIQ conference or any of the WA branch’s other activities, contact Celia Pavri at the WA Secretariat, tel 0417 027 928, email: wa-admin@quarry.com.au

By Celia Pavri

BACK FOR THE BOWLING STONE The WA branch’s Sixth Annual Lawn Bowls Challenge – The Bowling Stone – will be held on Friday, 20 March, from 5.00pm to 9.00pm. This event is proudly being supported by Tinus and his team at Italia Stone Group.

The group finished the day at Mount Coot-tha Café for a spectacular view lunch.

provided great insight into one of Brisbane’s most famous quarries. Robert inspired the Young Members and continually stressed the importance of future-proofing the quarrying industry and ensuring the face of the industry is maintained through raising awareness in educational institutions and younger generations to come.

The group finished off the day at Mount Coot-tha Café for a spectacular view lunch where everyone was thanked for their support of the YMN throughout the year and promised an even more exciting 2020.

The YMN sincerely thanks the Brisbane City Council, quarry manager Robert Bell, YMN sponsor Ausrocks, and Ausrocks presenters Carl Morandy and Dale Brown for the opportunity and providing excellent learning opportunities to the Young Members Network.

By Darko Cvitanovic

Hanson’s Gaskell Road Quarry Team will be back in force to see if they can take out the trophy three years in a row. Put together a team of four or nominate individually to compete for what has become one of the most sought after titles in our industry.

This will be a fun-filled evening of spirited competition among colleagues and peers as well as a great opportunity to socialise and network.

For those that find the rigours of competition too onerous, come along to cheer on your mates and partners and enjoy an evening of socialising, refreshments and a special barbeque cooked by our committee members.

If you haven’t booked for this event yet,

IQA NEW MEMBERS GRADE

NAME

BRANCH

Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Member

Alastair Scrivener WA Brad Black NSW Mark Reeves WA Ken Goldie QLD Amir Parsa NSW Jo Mannix QLD Rehanni Lockyer-Papae WA Matthew Kirk QLD

Hanson’s Gaskell Road Quarry Team are the reigning Bowling Stone champions.

IQA BRANCH CONTACTS ACT

Peter Hewson: 0429 001 476

NSW

Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090

Northern Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Hunter Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Illawarra

Dylan Treadwell: 0418 632 057

Central West Mitchell Bland: 0428 462 987 NT

Darren McKenna: 08 8988 4520

QLD

Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688

Gladstone Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Townsville Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Cairns SA

Chris Wilson: 0438 134 752 Marie Cunningham: 08 8243 2505

Tasmania Nicholas Palmer: 0418 126 253 Victoria

Eli Carbone: 03 8637 4723

Vic Sub-branch Craig Staggard: 0407 509 424

WA

Celia Pavri: 0417 027 928

Quarry March 2020 47

IQA NEWS

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

SA BRANCH FUNDS ASSIST ARTISAN WINERY WITH BUSHFIRE RECOVERY In early February, I headed up into South Australia’s Adelaide Hills to buy wine for our IQA events, and I thought it would be appropriate to head up to support our fireaffected communities. Not having ventured into the area, it was sobering driving passing blaze aid, army clean-up teams and the hit and miss destruction of the recent devastating fires. The two wineries that I visited were Artwine and Tilbrook Estate wines.

Artwine lost vines, irrigation, fencing and trellising, with the fire coming within 10 metres of the owners’ home. Fortunately they still had a cellar door to operate from and wine to sell. It seemed quieter than usual but I was listening to great stories from customers telling the cellar door staff how they had made their way up especially to buy from the area.

Tilbrook Estate Artisan Winery wasn’t as lucky. It lost all its wine, shedding, machinery, lost vineyards and associated irrigation and trellising. Worse, even though the Tilbrooks were insured, the complete loss of their stock meant they were more than 13 times underinsured because their product was only covered for bulk wine value, not retails sales value.

James and Annabelle Tilbrook were so lovely, they took the time to walk me around their property and share their worries, current financial and emotional condition and also where they want to be in the future – to build a sustainable hub and replant newer varietals to replace the burnt vines. They shared their story of how overwhelmed they are and just trying to navigate their way forward and the paperwork involved in accessing funding, filling out insurance forms, working part-time at other jobs and rebuilding.

James told me that when he first visited the vineyard after the fire went through, he thought he had lost everything and couldn’t process what had happened. However, a friend, whose vineyard was also affected by the fires, advised him the vines could recover if “we took some drastic steps”. This required volunteers with utes and 1000-litre intermediate bulk containers to hand water the vines, people with firefighting units to spray water over the vines, and others “to 48

Quarry March 2020

The Tilbrooks have borrowed a ute to transport their wine and set up an Eftpos machine.

cut back the 80 per cent of the vineyard that was heat-affected but potentially saveable”.

James Tillbrook said the community response to the Tilbrook Estate’s plight had been overwhelmingly effusive. “We have had over 200 volunteers and tradespeople – including one electrician who cumulatively spent two days out there reconnecting power so we could pump water from our bore into the nearly empty dam, which we then pump up to a concrete header tank.”

There is now hope that the vineyard may recover. “The work we have done seems to be showing the first green tips of life,” James said. “The grass has started to go green with the three decent rain events we had over the last couple of weeks and will return to full green when the autumn rains come.”

Winemaker Simon Greenleaf sold James and Annabelle six pallets of wine (aptly named “Hope”) at cost so they can keep trading, they have borrowed a ute (to pack the wine into and set up an Eftpos machine), set up a makeshift table, a couple of boxes of glasses, a manual labeller and sold wine under a building frame.

“We have been offered winemaking facilities and donated fruit so we can make

wine this vintage,” James said. “Life will go on. People have been incredibly generous with their time, with their expertise and with what else they can offer (a work colleague of my wife has loaned us a four-wheel drive ute for two months, for example). There have been lots of cases of human kindness – people from the local community, from surrounding towns, from Adelaide and from further afield. Plus we are getting wine merchants and restaurants contact us and say they want to help and stock our wine.

We have a GoFundMe page and there are chefs and sommeliers banding together to run high end fundraisers. There’s gala dinners and so on. Not all for us, by any means, but it is gratifying that the wine trade, the wine industry, hospitality and tourism are all digging deep and trying to help all the people so badly affected. This is the true Aussie spirit – helping a person when they are down, banding together in a time of crisis, thinking of the other person. I am glad I live in Australia.”

I thought I should share where I spent the IQA’s money, as often in our meetings we talk about SA dollars looking after SA. I definitely feel that was achieved on my visit. • Cathy Moore is a member of the IQA’s South Australian branch committee.

BULK2020

INAUGURAL BULK2020

TO CONNECT MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES

F

rom 1 to 3 April, 2020, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will host the inaugural Australian Bulk Handling Expo (BULK2020), which aims to bring the diverse bulk handling industry together to showcase the latest technology and innovations.

BULK2020 show director Simon Coburn said the event will be the only dedicated Australian expo for producers of bulk commodities.

“The bulk handling industry is a vital part of Australia’s economy, with a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share,” he said.

“To have all these exhibitors under one roof is not only a great place for business opportunities, but a fantastic occasion to network within this essential industry.”

The event is aimed at bulk commodity producers seeking the latest equipment solutions to run their businesses more efficiently.

New bulk materials handling equipment will be on display, including conveyors, silos, motors and drives, belt scrapers, dust control systems, and weighing or level measuring products.

Several quarrying equipment and service suppliers will be exhibiting.

Neil Kinder, the managing director of industrial equipment supplier Kinder Australia, said the company would exhibit its conveyor engineering capabilities, including a mobile showroom demo trailer that will feature a complete “roll in, roll out” working demonstration.

As part of this demo trailer, Kinder will display its innovative conveyor componentry solutions, including: the K-Snap-Loc dust seal system; the K-Smartscraper primary belt cleaner; the K-Commander self-centring idler; the K-Protector return idler guards; and the K-Dynamic impact belt support system, the company’s latest belt support solution.

“We will also have other solutions specific to advancement of the quarrying industry, heavyweights and small players,” Kinder said. “The quarrying landscape is constantly evolving, operators are challenged by the issues of dust emissions, safety, material spillage and continuous productivity.

“Attendance at BULK2020 is a must for

Kinder Australia’s mobile showroom demo trailer will showcase the company’s conveyor componentry solutions (inset) at BULK2020.

quarry professionals to stay abreast of new future-proof technologies and engineered innovations that can deliver optimal efficiency and productivity gains to their operations.”

Groundwork Plus director Clayton Hill said the company is excited to exhibit at BULK2020.

In addition to its existing consulting services, Groundwork Plus will showcase its in-house NATA-accredited aggregate testing laboratory. The laboratory caters for the quarrying sector, with on-site sampling and compliance testing to both Australian Standards and Main Roads methods.

“We’re exhibiting this year at BULK2020 as it’s an excellent way to network with new and existing clients, connect with other suppliers and explore what’s up and coming in the quarrying and bulk handling industries - a must for any quarrying professional,” Hill said.

The event is also set to feature other suppliers to the quarrying market, including the Terex family of companies, Skala, Vega, Crusher Screen Sales & Hire, Minprovise and Dyna Engineering.

Coburn said there has been plenty of interest from other local and international exhibitors and visitors. “Industries around the world are revolutionising as technology becomes more connected. Industry 4.0, automation and artificial intelligence have the potential to radically change the way businesses operate.

“Stakeholders from a broad range of sectors

will share their insight and expertise on how to stay at the cutting edge of technology and avoid being left behind.”

BULK2020 will be held in conjunction with one of Australia’s largest transport, logistics and supply chain events: MEGATRANS2020.

The two events will be hosted over 30,000 square metres at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, with one ticket entry covering access to both exhibitions.

The Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handing (ASBSH) will host a two-day industry conference with multiple technical streams.

“It has been many years since we had an exhibition dedicated to bulk handling in Australia, and this will be an excellent opportunity to connect bulk handling engineers with suppliers across multiple industries,” said Mark Jones, ASBSH chairman and the director of TUNRA Bulk Solids.

“We will be advising organisers Prime Creative Media on the conference program and look forward to seeing you all there.”

The 2020 Australian Bulk Handling Awards gala dinner will also be hosted at BULK2020 to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of companies and individuals in the bulk solids handling industry. The Australian Bulk Handling Awards celebrate the industry’s innovative practices and superior performances over the past year.

For more information, visit the BULK2020 website: bulkhandlingexpo.com.au • Quarry March 2020 49

GEOLOGY TALK

COSMIC SECRETS TO DUST HANDLING

New findings about planetary formations could have applications in industrial dust control here on Earth.

A shot from the Hubble Space Telescope of the maelstrom within the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Scientists may have figured out how cosmic dust particles grow and aggregate to form planets – and in turn this application may improve dust handling in industrial processes here on earth. Myles Hume reports.

obstacle in understanding how planets form,” said co-author Troy Shinbrot, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the School of Engineering at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. “Mechanisms for generating aggregates in industrial processes have also been identified and that – we hope – may be controlled in future work. Both outcomes hinge on a new understanding that electrical polarisation is central to aggregation.”

The study, led by researchers at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, may also lead to new ways to control fine particle aggregation in industrial processing.

It appears that introducing additives that conduct electricity may be more successful for industrial processes than traditional electrostatic control approaches, according to Shinbrot.

The researchers want to investigate the effects of material properties on sticking and aggregation, and potentially develop new approaches to generating and storing electricity.

The co-authored study has been supported by the German DLR Space Administration, with funds provided by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs. Shinbrot also acknowledged support from the US National Science Foundation’s Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems division. •

P

reviously, it was known that adhesion in outer space causes dust particles to stick together. Researchers also knew large particles combine due to gravitational pull, a key process in the creation of asteroids and planets.

However, the process between these two extremes – how aggregates grow – has largely remained a mystery until now.

A Rutgers University/ University of Duisburg-Essen co-authored study – published in the journal Nature Physics, found particles under microgravity, which is similar to conditions believed to be in interplanetary space, develop strong electrical charges spontaneously and stick together, forming large aggregates.

As the abstract reads: “Here we show in microgravity experiments that collisions between millimetre-sized grains lead to sufficient electrical charging for aggregation to bridge this gap between the bouncing barrier and the onset of the streaming instability.

“We computationally simulate aggregation and find that models agree with the experimental data only if electrical charging is present. We therefore propose that collisional charging may promote early growth in the size gap that current models of planetesimal formation cannot account for.”

Despite the common rule that like-charges

50

Quarry March 2020

repel, the researchers found like-charged aggregates came together due to the sheer strength of the charges, polarising one another to act like magnets.

According to the researchers, similar processes happen on earth where fluidised bed reactors produce a range of products, including plastics to pharmaceuticals. They are also responsible for industrially produced polymers, including rubber, vinyl chloride, polyethylene, styrenes and polypropylene, and are employed in water and waste treatment settings. In quarrying and bulk materials handling applications, fluid bed dryers can effectively remove moisture from materials such as sand.

In a fluid bed, a continuous upward flow of gas suspends the product like a liquid, with the vibration of the fluid bed amplifying the effect of the gas. This intensively mixes the gas and the sand, transferring high heat and producing an optimum physical reaction, while gently handling the sand grains. The fluid bed vibration, while not necessary for sand, provides increased process control and reduced energy consumption.

However, a downside of this process is that when particles aggregate due to static electricity, they can stick to reactor vessel walls, leading to shutdowns and poor product quality.

“We may have overcome a fundamental

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