The Official Rules of the Annual International Mining Competition

SCORES:

Scoring for both the men and women's teams will be determined as follows:

All events will be equally weighed. Ties among teams in individual events will be resolved by the flip of a coin by the respective judge.

Points awarded for winning an event will equal the number of teams (either men's or women's teams respectively) participating. First place for an event will be awarded one- (1) point. The team with the least number of points, at the end of the competition, will be the overall winner.

Example:

Consider 2 men's teams.

Team A:
4 first place @ 1 points each = 4 points
3 second place @ 2 points each = 6 points
Total = 10 points

Team B:
3 first place @ 1 point each = 3 points
4 second place @ 2 point each = 8 points
Total = 11 points

In this example team A is the winning team.

In the event of a final score tie, each team involved will select it's preferred event. A coin toss by an official judge will decide which of these events will be used to break the tie. Both teams will compete in the selected event and the winner the winner will be declared as the overall competition winner.

TEAMS:

Each team may consist of as many as six- (6) members. However, only five- (5) members may compete in any one event (with the exception of JACKLEG DRILLING and TRANSIT TRAVERSE, which only require two- (2) members each). This arrangement allows the best five of six members to compete in each event.

Example:
If one member is good at hand steeling but is not that talented in mucking, this member may compete in hand steeling and be a extra man for mucking if needed. This sixth man can only be used as a substitute.

SINGLE-JACK HAND STEEL DRILLING:

Five- (5) members from each team will participate in the hand steel drilling event. Each team will drill for a total of ten- (10) minutes at two- (2) minutes per person. Before starting another hole, the previous hole must be drilled to a depth of at least six- (6) inches. The judge of the hand steel drilling event will determine when the hole has reached the required depth. Water will be used to keep the holes flushed while drilling is in progress. Once the team has completed drilling, one- (1) minute will be allowed to thoroughly flush the hole(s) out. Flushing the holes may only be accomplished with the provided water, the drill steel, and tongs (the tongs will be provided for larger chips of rock).

The host team will provide hammers and sets of steels. Personal equipment is allowed provided that it is made available to everyone, prior to the beginning of the competition. Men's teams must use four- (4) pound hammers while the women's teams will be allowed to use three- (3) pound hammers if desired. A set of drill steels must consist of a starting steel, seven- (7) inches in length (± 1/2 inch), and a finishing steel, twelve- (12) inches in length (± 1/2 inch). Both steels in each set must be 7/8 inch in diameter with the appropriate chisel width. The drilling medium will consist of ~ 36-inch thick concrete blocks with an aggregate of no larger than 1/2 inch in diameter.

Each driller must wear eye protection and have only one hand on the drill steel and the other hand on the hammer at all times in order to strike the steel. Failure by any team member to comply with these rules will automatically disqualify his/her team from the event. In the event that the driller's eye protection falls off while drilling, he/she must stop drilling and replace the eye protection before drilling resumes. The judge will require proper eye protection before he/she allows the event to start.

The depth of each hole will be measured from the surface of the concrete block to the bottom of the hole(s) by the judge of the event. (This prevents a "short" measurement due to cratering around the collar.) Careful consideration should be taken into account when determining the spacing of each hole(s). (I.e. if a hole(s) "Breaks Out" because it is too close to the edge of the concrete block, the depth of the hole will not be measured. In the event that a hole "Breaks Out" into another hole, the judge of the event will determine the actual distance drilled to the best of his/her ability.)

The total depth drilled during the ten-minute time period will determine the winning team.

HAND MUCKING:

Five- (5) members from each team will compete in the hand-mucking event. Three- (3) of these members will muck while the other two- (2) will be "Screeders" (leveling the muck in the ore car). Any number of the five members may tram the car. Only two- (2) members may muck at one time. The third mucker will alternate in at the appropriate time (which is determined by each individual team). Each individual team must construct it's own muck pile. *No other help from the "sixth man", other "school members", or any other bystanders will be allowed in the construction of the muck pile. The third mucker and screeders are not allowed to adjust the muck pile once competition begins.

The event will begin with the team tramming the empty car from the muck pile down the length of the track and back to the muck pile (~ 75 feet one way). The car will then be filled with ~ two- (2) tons of "ore" by the muckers. The screeders will be provided with a "leveling board" to assure complete filling of the car. *The use of the leveling board is optional. A judge will determine when the car is full. The full car is then tramed down the length of the track and back again. Time will stop when the full car touches the stopper at the end of the track nearest the muck pile.

Note: A false bottom will be installed in the ore car for the women's teams; an effective fill of approximately 2/3.

Muck will be one-inch base rock (one inch minus). Regulation shovels are #2 round nosed spades. These may have long handles or short "D" style handles. Teams may bring their own equipment provided that it is made available for everyone's use prior to the beginning of the competition.

Disqualification of the team will occur if the car is derailed before reaching the finish line. *Derailing at the finish line will only result in a thirty- (30) second penalty. Disqualification also occurs if more than two- (2) members muck at the same time, or if there is any outside help including construction of the muck pile.

Each competitor must wear eye protection, hard hats, and safety shoes at all times while mucking. Failure by any team member to comply with these rules will automatically disqualify his/her team from the event. In the event that a mucker's/blockers eye protection or hard hat falls off while mucking/blocking, he/she must stop mucking/blocking and replace the protective gear before they resume. A judge will require the proper protection before he/she allows the event to start.

Lowest net time will determine the winning team.

GOLD PANNING:

Five- (5) members from each team will compete in the gold panning event. The host team will provide gold pans. Personal equipment may be used provided that it is made available to everyone prior to the beginning of the competition. Any size gold pan with any number of "ribs" may be used. A judge will provide each member a one- (1) pound coffee can full of material containing five- (5) halves of flattened copper BB pieces. When a competitor has found all five pieces, or knows that some of the pieces were lost, he/she will call "Time". It is the competitor's responsibility to let the judge know that he/she is done. There is a five- (5) minute time allowance for each team member. Each competitor must find all five pieces or empty his/her gold pan looking for the pieces before calling "Time".

The lowest net time will determine the winning team.

SWEDE SAW:

Five- (5) members from each team will participate in the swede saw event. Using two- (2) 36-inch bow saws, the members of each team will saw through a 6 inch X 6 inch pine timber. To prevent "breaking out" (cutting out the end of the wood rather than the bottom), the timber will be marked off in four- (4) inch "slices". If a break out occurs, the member sawing must start and complete a new cut with the time continuing to run. Only one- (1) break out per team is allowed, more than one will result in disqualification. Deviation of more than 1-1/2 inches will result in a 20 second penalty. *The 20-second penalty does not apply in the event of a break out.

Each of the team members will saw once and only once. Each member must start and complete his/her own cut. Only one- (1) saw is allowed to touch the wood at any one time. Teams may use their own saws, provided that the saws are made available to everyone prior to the beginning of the competition. Teams may also use their own blades, provided they bring enough blades to supply every team in the competition. Once again, the blades must be made available to everyone prior to the beginning of the competition.

Timing will begin when the first team member's saw hits the timber, and will end when the last member's slice hits the ground.

Each competitor must wear eye protection while sawing. Failure by any team member to comply with this rule will automatically disqualify his/her team. In the event that a competitor's eye protection falls off while sawing, he/she must stop sawing and replace the eye protection before sawing resumes. The judge will require proper eye protection before he/she allows the event to start.

Fastest total net time will determine the winning team.

TRACK (RAIL) STAND:

Four- (4) members from each team will compete in the track stand event while the fifth member will act as a "coach" for the team. The coach can yell, point out problems, and help keep the team running smoothly. The coach is not allowed to physically help in any way.

Teams must install two- (2) fifteen- (15) foot sections of forty- (40) lb./ft rail on five- (5) ties. The above-mentioned section of railroad track must be connected to an existing section of railroad track that is provided by the host team. Both rails must be double spiked to each tie (lateral and medial), and one- (1) end of each rail must be securely bolted to the existing rail with a minimum of 35 ft-lb. torque. The ties must be spaced somewhat evenly. Bunching of the ties will not be allowed. Track gauge will be 18 inches and the spikes will be approximately four inches in length. Track mauls, sledge hammers, spud wrenches, spike pullers, and track gauges will be provided by the host team. Personal equipment may be used providing that all equipment is made available for everyone's use prior to the beginning of the competition.

Teams will compete against the clock to install their section of rail. Time will start at "GO", behind a designated line, and will stop when the team is finished assembling their rail sections and all tools and team members are behind the above mentioned starting line. After installation, the event judge(s) will inspect the track for any penalties, including correct gauge, loose bolts, and improperly driven spikes. Once the inspection is complete, the team will then disassemble the track.

Once again, the teams will be competing against the clock while disassembly is in progress. Time will start at "GO", behind the designated line, and will stop all construction materials, tools, and team members have been placed behind the starting line. The area will then be inspected by the judge(s) for any other penalties, including not returning all twenty- (20) spikes, both rails, all five- (5) ties, all eight- (8) bolts, all eight- (8) nuts, all four- (4) "Fish Plates", and all tools and team members behind the starting line.

The total time will be the sum of the assembly, disassembly, and all assessed penalties.

PENALTIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

ASSEMBLY

1. SPIKE NOT DRIVEN FAR ENOUGH 10 SEC/SPIKE
   (One- (1) Popsicle stick thickness between the rail and spike head)

2. BOLTS NOT TIGHT ENOUGH 15 SEC/BOLT
   (35 lb.-ft torque)

3. NOT USING ALL 20 SPIKES 30 SEC/SPIKE
   (Ten- (10) per rail five- (5) lateral and medial)

4. HANGING TIES 20 SEC/TIE
   (Space between rail and tie > two- (2) Popsicle stick thickness)

5. GAUGE NOT PROPERLY ALIGNED 20 SEC/RAIL
   (± One- (1) inch)

DISASSEMBLY

1. SPIKE LEFT IN TIES 20 SEC/SPIKE

2. ANY ITEM NOT BEHIND THE LINE 10 SEC/SPIKE

Each competitor must wear eye protection, hard hats, and safety shoes at all times while laying track. Failure by any team member to comply with these rules will automatically disqualify his/her team from the event. In the event that a competitor's eye protection or hard hat falls off while laying track, he/she must stop action before he/she and replace the protective gear before they resume. The judge(s) will require the proper protection before he/she allows the event to start.

Lowest total time will determine the winning team.

JACKLEG DRILLING:

Two- (2) members from each team will compete in the jackleg-drilling event. A four- (4) foot drill steel with a 1 3/8-inch star bit will be used. The driller will have three (3) minutes to drill as many holes as possible in an eight- (8) inch by eight- (8) inch predetermined square. The drilling medium will consist of _______________________. Each team will drill in one- (1) High Square and one- (1) Low Square on the face of the rock. The clock will not stop for a "Stuck Steel".

The men's teams will have thirty- (30) seconds to collar a hole. If the hole is not collared by then, the second team member may assist the driller only by holding the drill steel. The second team member may not assist the driller in pulling the steel out of the hole.

In the women's competition, the second team member may play a more active role in the drilling by assisting in collaring and helping the driller remove the drill steel once a hole is finished. During collaring, the second team member may hold the drill steel near the bit. The second team member will be responsible for alignment adjustments to the driller.

Note: Judges will not assist the drillers except in the event of an emergency.

DRILING PENALTIES
(deduct one (1) foot for each penalty):

• DRILLING OUT OF THE ASSIGNED SQUARE.

• DRILLING OUT OF THE TOP OF THE ROCK.

• DRILLING INTO ANOTHER HOLE.

A negative footage will not be possible. Footage will default to zero- (0) if accrued penalties exceed total footage drilled. Example: 3 feet drilled--4 penalties=score of zero.

Each competitor must wear eye protection, ear protection, hard hats, and safety shoes at all times while drilling. Failure by any team member to comply with these rules will automatically disqualify his/her team from the event. In the event that a driller loses any of his/her protective gear while drilling, he/she must stop action before he/she and replace the protective gear before they resume. The judge(s) will require the proper protection before he/she allows the event to start.

The highest combined footage from both drillers will determine the winning team.

TRANSIT TRAVERSE (SURVEYING):

Two- (2) members from each team will compete in the surveying event. A 1-minute engineer's transit without an optical plumb will be used. No EDMs or Total Stations will be used. The host team will provide all equipment, except calculators. Teams may bring their own instruments provided that they are made available to everyone prior to the beginning of the competition. This means even the expensive or rare antique instruments. Calculation sheets and non-programmable calculators may be used.

Initial coordinates and elevations for station "A" and back sight azimuth will be given. Crews must begin at Station "A" and determine the coordinates and elevation of Station "B" relative to Station "A". The crew must set one- (1) intermediate station.

The event will begin with all equipment boxed and secured (i.e. tapes rolled up, tripod collapsed, and instruments properly secured in their boxes). A starting time will be recorded on the crew's form. Th judge will signal "GO" at that time, according to his/her watch. The finish time will be recorded when the crews form, with coordinates and elevation of Station "B", is handed to the judge. All equipment must be boxed, secured, and placed at the starting point before the judge will accept the crew's form. (Time will be stopped when the crew has replaced their equipment to its original status. The judges will then check the equipment. If not properly stowed, time will resume until the problems are corrected. The judge will not identify the problems with stowage. It will be the crew's responsibility to find and correct the problem.)

Crews will be ranked 1 through N T on time and 1 through N A on accuracy. Accuracy will be measured in terms of total closure (coordinates and elevation). The crew rank will be calculated by the following formula:

Rank = [(1/3) T = (2/3) A]/2

The maximum time allowed for surveying is forty-five- (45) minutes, with additional fifteen- (15) minutes for calculations. The time spent on calculations will not be figured into the rank formula; but if the crew spends more than fifteen minutes on calculations, they will be disqualified. There is no limit to accuracy. However, the judge can disqualify a crew if they do not make an honest attempt at the survey.

A five- (5) minute penalty will be assessed for each of the following:

• ROUGH HANDLING OF THE EQUIPMENT.

• IMPROPER SECURING OF MOTIONS BEFORE BOXING EQUIPMENT. (I.e. Transit scales must be clamped and transit motions must be snug before the instruments are moved. Foot screws must be equally extended for transit, and transits must be centered on the base plate before boxing.)

• INTENTIONAL INTERFERENCE by any team or team member, with either lines of sight or disturbance of stations, is a violation. Teams or team members involved in either infraction will be disqualified.

The lowest minimum weighted score will determine the winning team.

PLEASE NOTE:

Any personal equipment is subject to being broken. Do not bring personal equipment if you do not want to risk having it broken. If you do bring personal equipment, it is recommended that you bring more than one set, pair, etc. If your personal equipment is broken before you have a chance to use it, and you didn't bring a back up, you will have plenty of instruments to choose from. Remember that all equipment is to be made available for everyone prior to the beginning of the competition. This will also include all "Back-up" equipment that you may bring. There will be absolutely no special scheduling of teams.