The evolution toward sustainable mining can be achieved by implementing circular economies (CEs), and one way forward is via product-service systems (PSSs). However, applying PSSs in the mining industry is an area with little extant research. We seek to contribute to CE and sustainability research by proposing a model by which mining companies can achieve circularity through their suppliers: something which has not yet been explored. First, we present a critical literature review of published papers about the barriers and benefits in industries where servitization or PSS has been applied. We discuss barriers impeding PSS implementation in the mining industry, along with related concepts including CE and PSSs in digital technologies. With this study we hope to draw more discussion to the topic of PSSs in the mining industry and provide useful guidelines to academics and industry professionals for PSS implementation in mining: an important step toward circularity.

No abstract

No abstract

Tunnels, drifts, drives, and other types of underground excavation are very common in mining as well as in the construction of roads, railways, dams, and other civil engineering projects. Planning is essential to the success of tunnel excavation, and construction time is one of the most important factors to be taken into account. This paper proposes a simulation algorithm based on a stochastic numerical method, the Markov chain Monte Carlo method, that can provide the best estimate of the opening excavation times for the classic method of drilling and blasting. Taking account of technical considerations that affect the tunnel excavation cycle, the simulation is developed through a computational algorithm. Using the Markov chain Monte Carlo method, the unit operations involved in the underground excavation cycle are identified and assigned probability distributions that, with random number input, make it possible to simulate the total excavation time. The results obtained with this method are compared with a real case of tunneling excavation. By incorporating variability in the planning, it is possible to determine with greater certainty the ranges over which the execution times of the unit operations fluctuate. In addition, the financial risks associated with planning errors can be reduced and the exploitation of resources maximized.

No abstract