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TECHNICAL ARTICLE

STOCKPILE SEGREGATION
An informative review of a Technical Paper
that can help you dramatically reduce
segregation problems with your end-product aggregates

The following is an objective review of Technical Paper T-551: Stockpile Segregation. The
paper was written by Jerry Nohl, P.E., and
Bob Domnick, P.E., both of whom are engineers with Superior Industries of Morris,
Minnesota. Because of space constraints, this
review only summarizes key portions of the
paper. If you would like to have a free copy
of the entire 24-page paper, just make the
contact that is shown in the box located at
the bottom of the facing page.

the issue of potentially costly stockpile


segregation. They explain in some detail
the different ways that producers can
minimizeor even preventstockpile
segregation.

The potential dangers


of stockpiling aggregates

OR AN AGGREGATE PRODUCER,
there are two important goals that
are key ingredients for running a
successful operation: (1) increasing quality and (2) reducing expenses. In order
to meet these two goals, the producer
must take into consideration every single step in the production processand
this includes the stockpiling of the endproduct aggregates.
Stockpiling is, of course, absolutely
necessary for large aggregate productions, but it can also create some significant problems, such as particle segregation and the subsequent degradation of
the end-product. In a time when producers are often held monetarily responsible for the quality of their aggregates
by state DOTs, they literally cannot
afford the risk of creating segregation
when stockpiling the materials.
In Stockpile Segregation, a technical
paper written by Jerry Nohl, P.E., and
Bob Domnick, P.E., the authors address

When thinking about aggregate


operations, one most often envisions the
many steps that go into the actual production of the material. A large part of
the operations time and money is
invested in the stripping or blasting of
the material from the quarry and the
subsequent reduction of the material
through primary, secondary, and tertiary
crushers. After the material is sorted
through vibrating screens, the end-product meets Superpave or state DOT specifications and is ready to be used for its
intended application. But the product
rarely goes directly to the intended
application. Instead, it is usually stored
in stockpiles.
The authors of the technical paper
point out that when the production rate
of a material exceeds the immediate
demand, stockpiling becomes a key step
in the production process:
The rate of production, write the
authors of the paper,often differs from
the rate at which the product is required
for a given application, and stockpiles
help to absorb this difference. Stockpiles
also allow contractors sufficient storage
to respond effectively to fluctuating

Figure 1: The very first occurrence of segregation can be caused by the bouncing of
the conveyor belt as it passes over
the idlers.The finer particles tend to settle to
the bottom of the conveyor belt.

Figure 2: The second place on the line


where segregation occurs is at the end of the
conveyor, where the material falls onto the
stockpile. The top (outside) particles are
usually larger and traveling faster.

Page 10Volume 1, Number 1

market demands . . . Producers must


continually improve their stockpiling
techniques in order to reduce the risks
associated with stockpiling.
The paper details problems that can
arise if the material is not handled properly when it is being stockpiled. Those
problems tend to fall into three separate
categories: segregation; degradation; and
contamination.

The three most prevalent causes


of stockpile segregation
Since the focus of the technical paper
is stockpile segregation, the authors focus
their attention in that area. In the first
part of the paper, they carefully outline
the events and the mechanics that can
result in stockpile segregation:
TravelingThe material can
become segregated while traveling over
a belt conveyor. As material is carried
on a belt to the stockpile site, the belt
bounces over the idlers. According to
the authors, this motion causes the finer
particles to settle to the bottom of the
material cross-section of the belt, while
the coarser particles stay on the top
(see Figure 1).
DischargeA second cause of
segregation occurs at the location of
the conveyors discharge pulley. Here,
the material is carried over the end of
the conveyor and falls onto the pile. As
the material begins to travel around the
curvature of the discharge pulley, the
particles on the top (outside) of the mass

Figure 3: Another place where segregation


occurs is on the stockpile itself.When material is allowed to cascade down the side of
the pile, the larger particles will tend to roll
down the entire length of the slope.

will travel at a greater velocity than those


at the bottom (inside) of the mass. Since
there has already been some segregation
created during the traveling process,
there will be larger particles on the top
or outside. The difference in velocities
will cause these larger particles to fall
farther away from the end of the conveyor. And the smaller particles will go
to the front edge of the stockpile (see
Figure 2).
OverrunFinally, overrun can be
a major cause of segregation in a stockpile. When material is allowed to cascade down the side of a pile, the larger
particles will roll down the entire
length of the slope, while the smaller
particles will settle to the top and inside
of the pile (see Figure 3).
All of these problems can be corrected, according to the technical paper, if
the producer establishes and uses proper
procedures and equipment.

Procedures that can prevent


stockpile segregation
The technical paper explains in
detail the different application methods
and the equipment that can be utilized
to prevent stockpile segregation. These
methods include the following:
Blending the stockpile
Building the stockpile in layers
Telescoping conveyors
Variable-height conveyors
Radial-stacking conveyors
Rock ladders
Telescoping chutes
Paddle wheels
The paper describes how a front-end
loader or bulldozer can be used to blend
or spread the material if the stockpile is
to be built without the use of a conveyor.
When blending is done with a loader,
the operator pushes the pile together by
dumping the material from full bucket
height. This does not allow for very high
piles, however, because it would require
driving the loader onto the pileand this
can cause degradation of the material.
Another way to build a stockpile
without the aid of a conveyor is with a
truck and bulldozer. The truck dumps
material at the base of the pile and the
bulldozer pushes the aggregate into layers
on a diagonal slope. This method causes some degradation and contamination
of the material. Also, additional costs
are incurred from the extra labor and
equipment needed for this procedure.
The paper emphasizes that the use
of state-of-the-art conveyors is the most
effectiveand the most efficientway
to build stockpiles because they can be
manipulated by the operator to achieve
variable heights. The radial movement
of conveyors is also essential.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
for the full version of the
Stockpile Segregation
technical paper
Abstract
Stockpiling
Stockpiling Problems
Problems Caused by Segregation
Causes of Stockpile Segregation
When Is Stockpile Segregation a Problem?
Dealing with Segregation
Preventing Segregation
The Windrow Concept
Telescoping Conveyors
Partially Desegregated Pile
Fully Desegregated Pile
Stockpile Volume
Success with Automation
Conclusion
A radial-stacking conveyor minimizes
segregation by creating a wider base for
the stockpile and by spreading the
product over a longer distance. As the
conveyor moves from side to side, some
overrun still occurs, allowing the larger,
coarser material to gather at the sides
and base of the pile. The overall result,
however, is a stockpile with decreased
segregation at the middle of the pile.
Another conveyor design is the variable-height conveyor. According to the
paper,there is a direct relationship
between the height of free-fall of material
and the degree of resulting segregation.
In short, the farther the product falls
from the conveyor to the ground, the
more segregation will occur. Variableheight conveyors prevent this by beginning in the lowest setting, closer to the
ground, and raising proportionately as
the stockpile increases in height.

HERES HOW TO GET


THE ENTIRE
TECHNICAL PAPER
ABSOLUTELY
FREE OF CHARGE:
To receive your free copy of the
technical paper reviewed in this article,
simply make the following contact:
Mary Lou Berlinger at Superior Industries
Telephone: 800-321-1558
Fax: 320-589-2260
E-mail: maryloub@superior-ind.com

One effective method used to prevent


segregation is the windrow concept.
According to the paper, the windrow
concept involves making the stockpile
in layers, with each layer consisting of a
series of windrows each windrow
appears as a miniature pile. Segregation
still occurs in the individual windrows,
but the segregation resolution is greater,
i.e., the pattern of segregation repeats
itself more often and in smaller intervals.

Automated telescoping conveyors


are the most effective tool
According to the authors, telescoping
conveyors are the most effective way to
build a windrow stockpile. This conveyor design features variable height,
length, and radial positions. In addition
to this three-axis variation, an onboard, automated system keeps the conveyor constantly in motion, allowing it
to create smaller windrowswhich in
turn serves to increase the segregation
resolution of the stockpile.
There are several different methods
of automation, write the authors,some
of which are less costlywith significant
limitationwhile others are fully programmable and offer much versatility
when building a stockpile.
One method of automation features
limit switches that are mounted on the
axle of the conveyor. As it moves to
that set position, the limit switch is
tripped and the conveyor extends a
predetermined distance and then
begins moving in the other direction.
This method creates a mostly desegregated stockpile, but some overrun does
occur on the ends of the pile because
the conveyor travels the same distance
along the arc with each pass.
One automation system that prevents
this end-of-pile overrun uses a programmable logic controller (PLC). The PLC
is a computer that receives data from
input devices and processes this data to
control the operation of various components.The variable positions can be
adjusted on each pass, allowing each
subsequent layer to be narrower. This
eliminates overrun and creates a completely desegregated stockpile.
The paper explains that while
automation may seem to be a costly or
intimidating investment, a producer can
actually increase the quality of his product and save money with one of these
conveyor systems.
The authors of the paper make this
point:A producer can be charged a
penalty of fifty cents (U.S. currency)
per ton for an out-of-spec product due
to stockpile segregation. The necessity
to produce a completely desegregated
stockpile should far outweigh any
apprehensions one may have about
automated conveyor systems. AMJ

Volume 1, Number 1Page 11

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