Caterpillar Inc Heavy Equipment CSR by GineersNow Engineering GineersNow Engineering Magazine November 2016 | Page 22

CANADA’S
URANIUM
MINING
CONSIDERED
CLEANER
THAN MOST
Photo by Cameco
Canada is one of the world’s
largest producers of uranium
with an estimated 582,500
tonnes of it found in the country.
Most people would give mining
a bad name. Mining uranium
has always been looked down
on by environmentalists due to
the bad reputation of producing
high amount of greenhouse
gases. However, researchers from
the University of Saskatchewan
believe that the amount of
greenhouse gases produced
from uranium mining and milling
is little compared to the total
emissions produced by nuclear
power generation.
The study states that only a gram
of greenhouse gases is produced
from mining and milling uranium
for every kilowatt-hour of power
from the power generated by
uranium. According to the author
of the paper David Parker from
the University of Saskatchewan,
"This is the first rigorous look at
greenhouse gas emissions from
uranium mining and milling in
Saskatchewan. And it’s more
detailed than the few studies that
have been done before.”
If compared to the production
of power from coal and natural
gas, uranium produces 12 grams
of CO2 emissions per kilowatt
hour from nuclear power, while
coal produces 800 grams of CO2
per kilowatt hour and 500 grams
from natural gas. This study was
presented and published last July
29, 2016. It’s supported by the
Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre
for Nuclear Innovation.
THE SEARCH IS ON
FOR CONCRETE
WITH RECYCLED
AGGREGATES
Almost every material now is
being utilized to be recycled. From
paper, plastics, tin, and wood, these
materials compose new products
that are useful to mankind. But
how about recycled aggregate for
concrete? That we haven’t found
yet.
Well, until the research led by
Yahya “Gino” Kurama, a professor
of civil and environmental
engineering and earth sciences
from the University of Notre Dame
will produce significant results in
finding alternatives for recycled
aggregate, civil engineers will
have to deal with the conventional
structural concrete with natural
aggregates.
Much has been developed about
partial replacement of the binding
element in structural concrete,
which is cement, with industrial