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Solid Accurate Solutions |
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Stable Strata Consulting (Pty) Ltd |
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Nielen van der Merwe Resume
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Contact Phone: +27 11 680 5213 Fax: +27 11 433 4561 Mobile: +27 82 451 4895 E-mail: nielen@stablestrata.com |
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Scientific Community Service · President, International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) · Member, Professional Advisory Committee (Mining), Engineering Council of South Africa · Council Member, South African Institute for Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) · Council Member, International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG)
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Qualifications · B.Sc.(Mining Engineering), Pretoria · M.Sc(Engineering), Witwatersrand · PhD, Witwatersrand · Mine Managers Certificate of Competency (Metalliferous), Department of Minerals and Energy, South African Government · Onsetters Certificate |
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Work Experience · 12 Years in-company rock engineering on deep level hard rock mines - West Driefontein, Doornfontein, Buffelsfontein, amongst others. Mine lay-out, seismicity control, stope support, tunnel support, etc · 13 Years coal mine rock engineering—Coalbrook and Sigma Collieries amongst others. Longwall design, pillar extraction design, subsidence control, mining method development, etc · Two years as MD of ITASCA Africa, code sales, numerical modeling, methane control, integration of methane and strata control. · Three years research management with the CSIR Division of Mining Technology, as Programme Manager, Rock Engineering · Since 2001 Chair, School for Mining, Metallurgy and Geology and Head of Department, Mining Engineering, University of Pretoria |
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Technical Highlights · Development of integrated temporary and permanent support installation in burst prone deep level gold mines · Development of model to predict subsidence and related elements · Development of methods to handle coal mining subsidence for variety of structures including roads, pipe lines, transmission towers, conveyor belts · Development of method to extract coal pillars utilizing the crush pillar concept · Determination of the causes of coal mine roof falls · Development of optimal coal pillar strength formula · Development of method to predict life-spans of coal pillars |
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Publications · Three coal mine strata control handbooks—”Practical Coal Mine Strata Control”, Sasol Mining, “Practical Coal Mine Strata Control Ed 2”, ITASCA Africa, “Rock Engineering for Underground Coal Mining (with BJ Madden), SAIMM. · More than 50 local and international papers · Several key-note addresses |
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Registrations and Professional Association Memberships · Registered Professional Engineer, Engineering Council of South Africa · Fellow, South African Academy of Engineering · Fellow, South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy · Fellow, South African National Institute for Rock Engineering · Associate, South African Colliery Managers Association · Associate, Association of Mine Managers of South Africa |
