Browsing by Author "Oreskovich, Julie A"

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Archean Geology of the Minnesota River Valley Sacred Heart to Morton Geology
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2016-12) Grant, James A; Oreskovich, Julie A
A Brief History of the Use of Taconite Aggregate (Mesabi Hard RockTM) in Minnesota (1950s – 2007)
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2007-10) Oreskovich, Julie A
Taconite aggregates (collectively termed Mesabi Hard Rock™) have been used as construction aggregate in Minnesota for nearly 50 years, dating back to the early days of the taconite industry. Coarse taconite tailings are a ready-made, free-draining, fine aggregate equivalent suitable for use as select granular and fine filter aggregates. Their angular interlocking form, when placed with water and covered with Class 5, produces sound embankment fill material. Their hardness, strength and durability produce superior wear and friction properties in bituminous mixes. This, coupled with 100% fractured faces, makes them ideal for Superpave mixes. Their cleanness (very low -200 mesh) makes them a valuable tool for adjusting volumetric properties in bituminous mix design. Crushed taconite rock brings the same hardness, strength and durability to the coarser aggregate size fractions, making it ideal for crushing to desired specifications for use as fill, filter material and the coarse aggregate component in bituminous and concrete mixes. Historically, taconite aggregate products have been used most when road construction, maintenance, and repair projects are in close proximity to the taconite operations, i.e., on the Mesabi Range. The 1970s and 1980s saw the use of coarse taconite tailings spread to the Twin Cities metropolitan area, as well as to the southern and western reaches of the state for use in bituminous overlays and surfacing. The 1990s and 2000s saw taconite aggregates become a staple of Duluth area bituminous contractors and road constructors, to the degree that they are used in some capacity in nearly every project. Millions of tons of taconite byproducts are produced every year in the mining and pellet production process. Couple this with nearly 50 years of production and the enormous size of this resource becomes obvious. While much of this material is consumed by the taconite mines for day to day operations (haul roads, tailings dams, shovel pads, drill hole stemming, etc.), much remains stockpiled and available for use. Infrastructure already in place for shipment of pellets (roads, railroads, and Lake Superior docks and ship-loading facilities) can be accessed for shipment of aggregates throughout the United States and beyond. This report is a historical narrative of the highlights of taconite aggregate usage as road construction aggregates in Minnesota. It documents how taconite byproducts have evolved from stockpiled "wastes" to become premium "in-demand" aggregates suitable for meeting today's infrastructure needs.
Characterization of New and Traditional Clay Products using Wrenshall, Springfield, and St. Cloud Area Clays
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 1990-11) Toth, Thomas A; Oreskovich, Julie A; Hauck, Steven A; Bresnahan, Richard
Clays and clay minerals from Wrenshall, Springfield, and the St. Cloud area show potential for use as industrial minerals. The Wrenshall clays are Pleistocene glacial lake clays, the Springfield clays are Late Cretaceous non-marine and marine shales, and the St. Cloud area clays are primary and secondary kaolins and Late Cretaceous non-marine shales. This project includes a characterization of the physical properties of these clay raw materials and their finished products. Specialty bricks can be made from the Wrenshall clays using coloring additives, paint rock, taconite concentrate, and wild rice hulls as additives. Springfield non-marine shales can be used as fillers in a tile body to improve plasticity to the body. Springfield marine shales, which bloat upon firing, can be used as lightweight aggregate. The primary kaolins from the St. Cloud area are capable of being used as floor and wall tile and as a ceramic clay. The secondary kaolins can also be used for tile and ceramics, but sufficient quantities have not been found. The non-marine shales in the St. Cloud area (Avon) are currently being used for ceramic pieces. This project characterizes these clays and clay minerals based on evaluation of the shrinkage, absorption, and color of the fired products. These clay deposits can be used as industrial minerals for the products tested.
Characterization of the Kaolin Occurrences in Northern and Central Minnesota
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 1998) Heine, John J; Patelke, Richard L; Oreskovich, Julie A
Kaolin mining and exploration in Minnesota has been concentrated in the Minnesota River Valley, in the south-central part of the state. Potential exists for kaolins in northern and central Minnesota. Using the resources of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Drill Core Repository, over 1,250 drill logs were reviewed for references to kaolin bearing materials. This process resulted in 170 drill holes that contained references to kaolin bearing materials. Examination of these drill holes resulted in the selection of 60 drill holes containing kaolinitic materials for detailed logging. Detailed logging resulted in the collection of 287 samples from 40 drill holes. All samples were run for particle size analysis, and 27 selected samples were run for geochemistry. Many regions in the study area show potential for kaolin clay exploration. All areas sampled have favorable geochemistry and particle size analyses for current industrial clay uses, which include brick manufacturing, ceramics, and portland cement production. The areas with the greatest potential are Cass, Crow Wing, Stearns, Chippewa, Lac Qui Parle, and Pope Counties. Other possible uses for these clays include, refractory materials, fillers and pigments for industrial and agricultural applications, and coating and fillers for the paper industry. Exploration for kaolin deposits may be hindered by the lack of outcrop and thick overburden in some of these areas. The use of geophysical techniques, coupled with the examination of other drill holes and water well log data, may aid in the location of areas of further interest for exploration companies.
Compile and Make Digital the Lithologies for all NRRI Drill Logs, with Emphasis on the Duluth Complex Drill Holes (An Addendum to an Earlier NRRI Database)
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2009) Severson, Mark J; Oreskovich, Julie A; Patelke, Marsha Meinders
This report and associated databases are updates on many of the holes that have been recently logged by the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) in the Keweenawan Duluth Complex, the Paleoproterozoic Biwabik Iron Formation of the Mesabi Iron Range, and the Archean Deer Lake Complex of northeastern Itasca County, Minnesota. The main emphasis of this project was to update some of the databases that were presented in an earlier NRRI report (Patelke, 2003) with regard to lithologies in Duluth Complex drill holes that were logged by the NRRI since 2003 (and discussed in Severson and Hauck, 2008). To date, all of the publically available drill holes (except for around 30 drill holes) have now been logged in the Duluth Complex by the NRRI. These 30 holes are all that are missing from either the databases in this report or the databases in Patelke (2003). It is strongly suggested that the databases herein be combined, at the user’s discretion, with corresponding databases in Patelke (2003) in order to make an all- encompassing database for lithologies for all NRRI logged drill holes in the Duluth Complex. A secondary goal of this project was to present a header file database for all the holes that were recently drilled in the Duluth Complex (post-2003). Most of these holes are not yet publically available, but data regarding drill hole locations can be gleaned from abandonment files. Combining Duluth Complex header files in this report with the similar header file in Patelke (2003) could provide an all-encompassing database of locations for all of the holes drilled to date in the Duluth Complex (pre-2010 data). This combining of the data is left to the user’s discretion. Lastly, additional goals of this project (time permitting) were to present lithologic databases for all holes logged by the NRRI in the Mesabi Iron Range and, to a much lesser extent, holes logged by the NRRI in the Deer Lake Complex. The database for the Mesabi Iron Range contains information for almost 300 drill holes (over 5,947 lines of lithologic data) in regard to the lithologic picks pertaining to informal members and submembers of the iron-formation. The data in this file is about 80% complete in that not all of the iron-formation submembers are presented for holes drilled at the Keetac Taconite mine or in the Coleraine, MN, area (the latter holes are discussed in Zanko et al., 2003).
Determination of Melting Point of Brass Dross
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2001) Oreskovich, Julie A
The Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) was approached by Phoenix Solutions Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota, for discussions regarding a possible plant for the plasma smelting of brass dross (brass-bearing slag) in order to recover brass. Further discussions would involve looking at potential uses for the slag itself. As part of the initial investigation of the smelting process, this project attempts to identify the melting point of the brass dross.
Determination of Melting Point of Brass Dross
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2001) Oreskovich, Julie A
This project attempts to identify the melting point of the brass dross.
Documenting the Historical Use of Taconite Byproducts as Construction Aggregates in Minnesota – A GIS-based Compilation of Applications, Locations, Test Data, and Related Construction Information
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2007) Oreskovich, Julie A; Patelke, Marsha Meinders; Zanko, Lawrence M
Aggregate shortages are causing increasing concern for population centers across the country. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s taconite mining industry generates over 125 million tons of mining and processing byproducts annually that hold aggregate potential of traprock quality. Materials such as blast rock, coarse crushed rock, and coarse tailings (collectively known as Mesabi Hard Rock™) have been staples of northeastern Minnesota road construction for over four decades. Infrastructure is already in place to move these materials to markets throughout the country to augment local aggregate resources. Because these highway construction applications are not widely known outside of northeastern Minnesota, this study was undertaken to: 1) document how and where taconite byproducts have been used; and 2) assemble related test data. Letters, interviews, site visits, and searches of archived records were the primary modes of data collection. The product is a project report with a stand-alone Microsoft Access (or Excel) database and an ArcView GIS product containing mappable Mesabi Hard Rock™ usage locations with accompanying data. Topics that users can query include byproduct type, location, application, date, authority, and contact person. With such information, users can determine the applicability of this resource to their own projects.
Erie Pier Dredge Material Beneficial Use Study Final Report February 25, 2013
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2013-02-25) Patelke, Marsha Meinders; Levar, Thomas E; Zanko, Lawrence M; Oreskovich, Julie A; Maly, Craig C
A two-year (2011-2012) study was undertaken by the University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) to conduct lab and field demonstrations – as well as concurrent testing and monitoring – related to the beneficial use of federal navigation channel dredge material removed from the Duluth-Superior Harbor and stored at the Erie Pier facility in Duluth, MN. Much of the groundwork for the 2011-2012 study was done in prior years, but especially in 2009 and 2010, through ongoing collaborative efforts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Detroit District, its Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, MS, its Duluth Area Office, and public and private entities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Examples of the latter include: the Duluth Seaway Port Authority; the Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council (DSMIC); the Harbor Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) and its members; city, county and state officials and agency personnel; engineering firms and contractors; and Minnesota taconite mining operations.
Geological and Geochemical Reconnaissance for Rare Earth Element Mineralization in Minnesota
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2014) Hauck, Steven A; Heine, John J; Severson, Mark J; Post, Sara P; Chlebecek, Sara; Monson Geerts, Stephen D; Oreskovich, Julie A; Gordee, Sarah M
Geology and SEDEX Potential of Early Proterozoic Rocks, East-Central Minnesota
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2003) Severson, Mark J; Zanko, Lawrence M; Hauck, Steven A; Oreskovich, Julie A
Historical Use of Taconite Byproducts as Construction Aggregate Materials in Minnesota: A Progress Report
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2006-10) Oreskovich, Julie A; Patelke, Marsha Meinders
Coarse taconite tailings and crushed taconite rock (Mesabi Hard Rock™) have been a staple of the road construction industry on Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range for over four decades. Comparable to trap rock in quality, taconite aggregates have proven to be strong and durable when used as subgrade and base material and in bituminous pavements. The superior hardness and durability of these materials make them a viable candidate for exporting to the Twin Cities metro and out-state areas and to surrounding states as stand alone aggregate or for blending with local aggregates to produce more competent pavements. Documenting how and where taconite byproducts have been used in Minnesota, along with related test and longevity data, will provide the potential end user a basis for selecting these materials over another aggregate source.
LCMR clay project: NRRI summary report
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 1990-10) Hauck, Steven A; Heine, John J; Zanko, Lawrence M; Power, B; Monson Geerts, Stephen D; Oreskovich, Julie A; Reichhoff, J
Minnesota has a variety of clays and shales that have potential as industrial clays. These clays are: 1) Precambrian clays; 2) Paleozoic shales; 3) pre-Late Cretaceous primary (residual) and secondary kaolins; 4) Late Cretaceous ball clays and marine shales; 5) Pleistocene glacial clays; and 6) Recent clays. Minnesota clays are currently used for brick and as a portland cement additive. Other potential uses include filler and coating grade kaolins, ceramic tile, refractory products, lightweight aggregate, sanitaryware, and livestock feed filler. Precambrian clays occur in the 1 .1 Ga Keweenawan interflow sediments of the North Shore Volcanic Group, the Middle Proterozoic Thomson Formation and in the Paint Rock member of the Biwabik Iron-Formation on the Mesabi Iron Range, all in northeastern Minnesota. The Paint Rock clays have potential as red coloring additives and glazes. Paleozoic shales in southeastern Minnesota are primarily kaolinitic and illitic shales that are interbedded with limestones. The Ordovician Decorah and Glenwood Formations are marine shales that, in the past, have been used to make bricks, tile, and lightweight aggregate. The thickness of these shales ranges from 10-90 feet. The Decorah Shale has the lowest firing temperature with the best shrinkage and absorption characteristics of all the Minnesota clays. The pre-Late Cretaceous primary and secondary kaolins are found in the western and central portions of Minnesota; the best exposures are located along the Minnesota River Valley from Mankato to the Redwood Falls area and in the St. Cloud area. The primary or residual kaolinitic clays are the result of intense weathering of Precambrian granites and gneisses prior to the Late Cretaceous. Subsequent reworking of these residual clays led to the development of a paleosol and the formation of pisolitic kaolinite clays. Physical and chemical weathering of the saprolitic kaolinite-rich rocks produced fluvial/lacustrine (secondary) kaolinitic shales and sandstones. Recent exploration activity is concentrated in the Minnesota River Valley where the primary kaolin thickness ranges from 0 to 200 + feet, and the thickness of the secondary kaolins ranges from 0-45 + feet (Setterholm, et al, 1989). Similar kaolinitic clays occur in other areas of Minnesota, e.g., St. Cloud and Bowlus areas. However, less information is available on their thickness, quality, and areal distribution due to varying thicknesses of glacial overburden. Cement grade kaolin is extracted from two mines in the residual clays in the Minnesota River Valley, and a third mine there yields secondary kaolinite-rich clays that are mixed with Late Cretaceous shales to produce brick. During the Late Cretaceous, Minnesota was flooded by the transgressing Western Interior Sea, which deposited both non-marine and marine sediments. These sediments are characterized by gray and black shales, siltstones, sandstones, and lignitic material. Significant occurrences of Late Cretaceous sediments are found throughout the western part of the state, with the best exposures located in Brown County, the Minnesota River Valley, and the St. Cloud area. In Brown County, the maximum thickness of the Late Cretaceous sediments is > 100 feet. These sediments thicken to the west and can be covered by significant thicknesses ( > 300 ft.) of glacial overburden in many areas. Current brick production comes from the Late Cretaceous shales in Brown County. In the past, the Red Wing pottery in Red Wing, Minnesota, used Cretaceous and some Ordovician sediments to produce pottery, stoneware, and sewer pipe. Glacial clays occur in glacial lake, till, loess, and outwash deposits, and these clay deposits range in thickness from 5 to 100 + feet. Much of the early brick and tile production (late 1800s and early 1900s) in Minnesota was from glacial clays. The last brickyards to produce from glacial lake clays, e.g., Wrenshall in northeastern Minnesota and Fertile in west-central Minnesota, closed in the 1950s and 1960s. There has also been some clay production from recent (Holocene) fluvial and lake clays that have thicknesses of 2-10 + feet. Both recent and glacial clays are composed of glacial rock flour with minor quantities of clay minerals. Carbonates can be a significant component of many of these clays. Glacial lake clays in northwestern Minnesota (Glacial Lake Agassiz - Brenna and Sherack Formations) begin to bloat at 1830 ° F due to the presence of dolomite and smectite clays. These clays are a potential lightweight aggregate resource. Geochemistry, clay mineralogy, particle size, cation exchange capacity (CEC), raw and fired color, and firing characteristics are useful in distinguishing different potential industrial uses for Minnesota clays. These physical and chemical characteristics help to distinguish potentially useful clays from those with less desirable characteristics, e.g., high quartz or silica content, high shrinkage or absorption upon firing, undesirable fired color, too coarse-grained, CEC of < 5 milliequivalents, etc. Certain clays, e.g., the bloating Decorah and Brenna Formation clays, and the high alumina, refractory, pisolitic clays of the Minnesota River Valley, have physical and chemical characteristics that indicate further exploration and product research are necessary to fully evaluate the potential of these clays.
Mapping Industrial Clay Potential in the Minnesota River Valley
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 1998-12) Zanko, Lawrence M; Oreskovich, Julie A; Heine, John J; Grant, James A; Hauck, Steven A; Setterholm, Dale R
Oxidized Taconite Geological Resources for a Portion of the Western Mesabi Range (West Half of the Arcturus Mine to the East Half of the Canisteo Mine), Itasca County, Minnesota - A GIS-based Resource Analysis for Land-Use Planning
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2001) Zanko, Lawrence M; Severson, Mark J; Oreskovich, Julie A; Heine, John J; Hauck, Steven A
Performance of Taconite Aggregates in Thin Lift HMA: Final Report - January 31, 2012
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2012) Zanko, Lawrence M; Johnson, Ed; Marasteanu, Mihai; Patelke, Marsha Meinders; Linell, David; Moon, Ki Hoon; Oreskovich, Julie A; Betts, Ray; Nadeau, Lynette; Johanneck, Luke; Turos, Mugur; DeRocher, Will
This project was undertaken to advance the knowledge of the beneficial uses of taconite mining coarse tailings (taconite fine aggregate) for thin lift hot mix asphalt (HMA), to facilitate technical information gathering and marketing of such uses and properties, and to encourage the beneficial use of recycled/byproduct materials like durable and wear- and skid-resistant taconite (Mesabi) aggregates, recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), and asphalt shingles. In combination, the use of each is highly desirable because it promotes resource conservation, safety, and energy-saving. Outcomes of this study suggest that Mesabi rock and tailings products show promise as components of 4.75-mm Dense-graded, Stone Matrix Asphalt, and Ultra-Thin Bonded Wearing asphalt mixtures. Laboratory and field investigations of taconite tailings should continue. The Mesabi rock can be incorporated in standard Superpave, SMA, and fine/sand asphalt mixtures in upcoming construction projects. In each case construction and long term field performance should be evaluated. The investigators conclude that taconite-based thin lift HMA mixes that also incorporate RAP should be recognized as an environmentally sound, i.e., combining the use of byproduct and recycled/reclaimed materials, and high-quality option for HMA pavement rehabilitation and preservation. Collectively, the material testing results suggest that thinner wear-course pavements made from appropriately designed taconite-based mixes can match or exceed the service life of conventional MnDOT Level 4 mixtures. If extended service life is realized, then taconite fine aggregate could be a cost-effective choice at end-user locations where high-quality local aggregate sources are lacking or absent. These enhanced performance attributes can add intrinsic value to taconite materials and make them more desirable to use and more cost-effective to transport longer distances, thereby improving and broadening their near- and long-term potential for regional and national highway infrastructure projects.
Preliminary Testing and Pilot-Scale Processing of the Kittson County Bloating Clays
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 1996) Oreskovich, Julie A; Goetzman, Harold E
Process Development and Evaluation of Cook Area Glacial Lake Clays for Cat Litter
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 1996-01) Oreskovich, Julie A
Clumpable cat litters are commanding an increasing share of the cat litter market. Produced from sodium bentonite, a swelling clay, clumpable litters absorb and bind up cat urine, restricting its penetration to a shallow depth. The resultant "clump" is easily removed, leaving the remaining litter fresh. Bentonite is the same clay used as a binder in the production of taconite pellets on Minnesota's Mesabi Iron Range. It is shipped by rail from Wyoming, adding significantly to cost per ton of pellets. Past research has shown that the glacial lake clays from the Cook, Minnesota, area can be used wholly or in part as a taconite pellet binder. Recent testing has demonstrated the clumpability of these same clays, making them a potential local source for clumpable cat litter. Further investigation of the Cook area clays could spawn development of a cat litter industry for northeastern Minnesota. Such a development may in turn prompt Minnesota's taconite industry to take a new look at using local clays as a pellet binder in its continual pursuit of cost reduction.
Properties and Aggregate Potential of Coarse Taconite Tailings from Five Minnesota Taconite Operations
(2003-12-01) Zanko, Lawrence M; Oreskovich, Julie A; Niles, Harlan B
The goal of Zanko's study is to evaluate the technical and economic viability of using coarse taconite tailings for aggregate purposes in road construction. Making use of this mining byproduct makes environmental sense because it maximizes the use of a resource that has already been mined and crushed. The report presents well-documented, technical data from five sites relating geological, mineralogical, and chemical properties to performance when used in road construction. A series of aggregate tests demonstrated the suitability and durability of coarse tailings as a component of bituminous asphalt. In addition, state-of-the-art testing methods showed that none of the samples contained asbestos. In terms of the marketing potential, low-cost rail transportation and a workable distribution plan would be key for expanding the use of coarse taconite tailings as aggregate in markets beyond Northeastern Minnesota.
Properties and Aggregate Potential of Coarse Taconite Tailings from Five Minnesota Taconite Operations
(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2003-12) Zanko, Lawrence M; Niles, Harlan B; Oreskovich, Julie A

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