News/Events Archives

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Created: 24 June 2020

10 July 2020
Time: 13h00 - 15h00

MICROSOFT TEAMS ONLINE

About the lecture

Radar technology in the mining industry has become integral not only for the monitoring of open pit slopes using real aperture radar (RAR) or multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques, but also the utilisation of ground penetrating radar for the detection of discontinuities in underground openings.

Reutech Mining will provide an overview of basic radar principals and the application of these technologies to the mining environment. The talk will include an overview of select case studies illustrating advanced assessment techniques of data captured in different geotechnical settings.

RSVP BEFORE 8 JULY 2020

Raymond van der Berg
tel: (+27) 11 568 2053
email: raymondvdb@mpas.org.za

For more information visit
@SanireOfficial

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Created: 04 June 2020

Attention: SANIRE Members

Strata Control and Rock Engineering Examinations

The Minerals Council Exams Committee consisting of SANIRE (South African National Institute of Rock Engineering, IMSSA (Institute of Mine Surveyors of South Africa), MVSSA (Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa) and MINCOSA (Minerals Council of South Africa) held a meeting on 1 June 2020 to discuss the way forward with the upcoming examinations. It was decided by a majority vote that the exams committee will cancel the July 2020 COM theory examinations due to safety and logistical concerns relating to COVID-19 pandemic following a thorough risk assessment conducted by MINCOSA. The next theory examinations will be held in November 2020. Please refer to the communication document issued by the Minerals Council.

The outstanding SCO Practical examinations have been placed on hold until mining operations are able to cater for numerous candidates. We will continue to keep members updated in this regard, however this decision is based on the safety of all, keeping in mind the limitations of the mining operations. No date can be issued at this stage for resumption.

In terms of the Rock Engineering Practical Examination, SANIRE proposed to the MINCOSA that we continue with the examinations as planned in July 2020, which was accepted on the basis that they are held “virtually” / online. When COVID 19 was declared a pandemic, SANIRE Council immediately started investigating the virtual options. The Rock Engineering Practical Examinations will continue as planned. Arrangements and communication with both examiners and candidates will be made accordingly in due course.

Should you have any queries in this regard, please do not hesitate to contact Adam Cooper at adamco@ivanplats.com

We as SANIRE Council continue to wish you all the best in the tough times ahead.

Yours sincerely,
SANIRE Education Portfolio (A Cooper)
SANIRE President (PM Couto)

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Created: 02 June 2020

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Created: 26 March 2020

23 March 2020

To: Candidates/Learners registered for writing the Chamber of Mines Certificate exams
Member Companies,
Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa (MVSSA);
South African Institute of Rock Engineering (SANIRE);
Institute of Mine Surveyors of South Africa (IMSSA); Other relevant stakeholders

IMPORTANT URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT
POSTPONEMENT OF THE CHAMBER OF MINES CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS IN
SURVEYING, SAMPLING, VENTILATION AND ROCK MECHANICS

To All Concerned,

In light of the current challenges that the country is experiencing in regards to the COVID-19 virus pandemic and the countrywide lockdown that was recently announced by the State President, the Minerals Council South Africa, after discussion and engagements with relevant stakeholders, professional associations and professional societies, has taken a decision to postpone all the Chamber of Mines Certificate examinations for the Surveying, Sampling, Ventilation and Rock Mechanics disciplines that would have taken place through 2020. We will still have two sittings of examinations in 2020. You are urged to take note of these changes.

May Examination Changes

It has been agreed that the examinations that would have taken place from the 4th May 2020 to 12th May 2020 will now take place from 6th July 2020 to 14th July 2020. Please note that this new examination date could be subject to change, depending on the announcements from government and engagements with stakeholders, in respect of the COVID-19 pandemic. We will update all concerned after the COVID-19 lockdown period. The closing date for registration to these (July) examinations has been extended to 31st May 2020.

October Examinations Changes

The examinations that would have taken place from the 5th October 2020 to 13th October 2020
will now take place from 2nd November 2020 to 10th November 2020. Please note that this new
examination date could be subject to change, depending on the announcements from
government and engagements with stakeholders, in respect of the COVID-19 pandemic. We
will update all concerned after the COVID-19 lockdown period.

The closing date for registration to these (November) examinations has been extended to 30th September 2020.

These changes could unfortunately result in the following: -

a) The venues where the exams were going to written could possibly change as a result of the date change. The Minerals Council will make every effort, that if this were to happen, it does not significantly inconvenience the candidates.
b) The postponement of the October examinations to November will lead to candidate results being issued later than expected. This would be largely due to the December shutdowns. We will make every endeavour to expedite the speedy releasing of results.

You are also advised to regularly interact with the COMCERT website at WWW.COMCERT.CO.ZA where you would find updates on the above matter post the lockdown period.

Further to the above you can contact the following individuals for any further enquiries.

a) Ms. Mbali Mathenjwa – Tel. +27 11 498 7733 or MMATHENJWA@MINERALSCOUNCIL.ORG.ZA
b) Mr Theo Mehana – Tel. +27 11 498 7731 or TMEHANA@MINERALSCOUNCIL.ORG.ZA

The Minerals Council encourages every individual to heed the government announcements and measures during the lockdown period and to be courageous, practice patience, be compassionate and above all, be safe.

Yours sincerely
MUSTAK ALLY
HEAD: SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Tel: 011 - 4987202
Email: mally@mineralscouncil.org.za

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Created: 24 March 2020

Dear ISRM Members and Rock Mechanics Colleagues,

For the 29th ISRM Online Lecture the ISRM invited Professor Francois Malan, from University of Pretoria, South Africa. The title of the lecture is “Rockburst support in shallow-dipping tabular stopes at great depth ”.

The lecture will be broadcast on monday 30th March, at 10 AM GMT and will remain available in the online lectures dedicated webpage .

Prof Malan started his geotechnical career in 1993 and spent the next 11 years at the Chamber of Mines Research Organisation (later CSIR Miningtek). There he conducted research on the rock mass behaviour in deep tabular mines. His particular interest during this period was the time-dependent behaviour of hard rock and he used this as topic for his PhD thesis. In 2011 he joined Groundwork Consulting and worked on pillar designs and layout problems in the South African platinum industry, geotechnical problems in the deep gold mines and instrumentation development for geotechnical applications. In 2011, he joined the gold mining industry and was appointed as Senior Consultant Rock Engineering of Gold Fields South Africa. These mines were taken over by Sibanye Stillwater in 2013 and he remained with Sibanye Stillwater. In 2018, he joined the University of Pretoria as Associate Professor .

Over the years, he has received various awards for his contributions to rock engineering. These include five gold and silver medals from the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and three Salamon awards from the South African National Institute of Rock Engineering for best publications. The ISRM awarded him the Rocha medal in 2011 and in 2017 he presented the Franklin Lecture at the AfriRock Symposium in Cape Town. One of his PhD students, Dr Michael du Plessis, was also awarded the Rocha medal in 2018. Prof Malan has authored or co-authored over 81 technical papers on rock engineering and he delivered 7 invited keynote addresses at national and international conferences .

Between 2007-2011, Prof Malan served as ISRM Vice-President for Africa. Prior to this, he was also the President of the South African National Institute of Rock Engineering for the period from 2003 -2005. Prof Malan is a Fellow of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a Fellow of the South African National Institute of Rock Engineering and a member of the Society of Mining Professors. He acts as a reviewer for several rock engineering journals and is a member of the publications committee of the Journal of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy .

The lecture will remain online so that those unable to attend at this time will be able to do it later. As usual, the attendees will be able to ask questions to the lecturer by e-mail during the subsequent five days. All online lectures are available from this page .

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Created: 12 March 2020

Date: Friday, 20th of March 2020
Place: Impala Bowling Club
Time: 1:00 pm for 1:30 pm

Agenda: Opening and Introduction|Supplier Presentation|SANIRE National News and Feedback- Paul Couto|Examiner Feedback|Announcements and Games|Closure and Refreshments
All Rock Engineering Department Members are Welcome (SCOs, Rock Engineers, Technicians, Graduates, Learners) and Rock Engineering related Suppliers
RSVP to Edeshni Munsamy by emailing directly to: Edeshni.Munsamy@sibanyestillwater.com

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Created: 19 February 2020

The 11th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium (ARMS11) will be held in Beijing on October 23-27, 2020. The deadline for abstract submission is March 15, 2020. On behalf of the organizing committee, we really appreciate that if you send this email to all the registered members in your country.

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Created: 08 January 2020

2nd Rockburst Workshop - Friday 08 November 2019

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Created: 20 November 2019

Dear Presidents of the ISRM National Groups

It is with deep sadness that we inform all ISRM members that our colleague and friend Prof. Giovanni Barla passed away on 17 November.

Giovanni was a very active member of our Society, former Vice President for Europe (1995-1999), ISRM Fellow (2013), Chairman of the ISRM Commission on Squeezing Rocks in Tunnels (1989-1999), Chairman of Eurock96 and frequent keynote lecturer at ISRM conferences including at the 14th ISRM Congress last September, among many other contributions.

Giovanni was Editor-in-Chief of the journal Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, former Professor of Rock Mechanics (until 2012) and Department Head (2003-2011) at the Politecnico di Torino, past President of the Italian Geotechnical Society (1997-2003), recipient of the IACMAG award for outstanding contributions, member of the Torino Academy of Sciences and a renowned international consultant. He was one of the most influential rock mechanics researchers of our times.

We will keep warm memories from him for his professional contributions and his friendship.

Our thoughts are with his wife and his close family, to whom we present our deepest condolences.

Luís Lamas
Secretary General, ISRM

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Created: 12 November 2019

Saturday 16 November 2019 at 13:00
Thatch Haven Country Lodge, Brits
If possible, please let us know if you will be able to attend on or before Thursday 14 Nov 2019 as we need a headcount.