Search Documents

Blast performance is related to rock structure and strength, as well as to factors such as site geometry, drill patterns, explosives loading, firing sequences and delays.

Jan 1, 1986

By S A. Steyn, I P. Douglas

Duvha Opencast is a large South African dragline operation supplying coal to the Duvha Power Station which is operated by Eskom, the state power utility. For Duvha to remain competitive with other collieries, it has proved necessary to continuously examine and investigate methods of reducing costs. With explosives representing a major portion of the total working costs, blasting is an obvious area of investigation.

Jan 1, 1991

By Kevin Dunfield

The Deltadet System is composed of: The Deltadet II electronic Detonator. A Field Terminal to create, modify or simply execute an existing blasting sequence. The radio remote controlled option is composed of a Base Station to program, calibrate and initiate the EDDs plus a Blasting Box to send commands to the Base Station. Blasting lines to connect the EDDs to the Base Station (100m) and Visual Blast software to create or modify a blasting sequence.

Jan 1, 2004

By R Keller, R Law

In the rush to beat the clock before the handover of Hong Kong back to China in June of 1997, an unprecedented amount of infrastructure work is being undertaken at a breakneck pace. In the middle of this construction explosion, on this island of barren granite , stands some of the most concerning and restrictive slope stability measures. So conservative, these measures impact blasting and vibration control to an extent unmatched anywhere in the world.

Jan 1, 1996

By Paul Schmiesing, Matt Higgins

Central Oregon is a fast growing resort community centered in Bend, Oregon. Bend is bordered by the Cascade Mountains to the west and the high dessert to the east. Central Oregon is blanketed with lava rock with little topsoil. Ditch blasting is a staple in the area. Almost all utilities excavation (gas lines, sewer lines, water lines, and electrical lines) requires blasting. There is also a considerable amount of blasting required for site excavations and drywells. On average, there are over 500 blasts per year in Bend alone. All of this blasting is done using small holes, generally 2.5 inches in diameter. Typical ditches will have 200 holes, between 2-3 rows wide, with an average depth of 8 feet, and on 36 inch centers. Almost all shots are dry. Successful blasting requires careful control of drilling and loading. The vesicular basalt contains numerous lava tubes and caves making drilling and loading difficult. The rock conditions vary greatly from one side of town to the other requiring different powder factors and different scale of distances for vibration control. Caret%1 calculations of vibration predictions and use of site-specific seismic info is necessary. Marry shots will require deck loading and careful timing to ensure one-charge per delay. It is an every day occurrence to be blasting near residential and commercial structures or high pressure gas lines. Many times ditch blasting will incorporate excavation blasting. The different hole patterns used for the ditches and the excavation shots presents challenging timing sequences.

Jan 1, 2000

By Robert Hopler

True there is a certain proportion of nitro-glycerin in dynamite cartridges, but the dangerous explosive is scientifically compounded with wood pulp and some other ingredients in such a way that it can be absolutely depended upon not to explode accidentally if our simple and plain instructions for its use are complied with.

Jan 1, 2012

By Stuart Brashear, Steven Bell, Donald Smith

This Limestone site required the removal of a bench containing high quality rock located in close proximity to sump and pit pump. The sump and associated electrical box were below the bench that needed to be blasted and located only 70 feet (21.33 meters) away. It was proposed to blast material needed without moving or disturbing the pump or electrical junction box. The area to be blasted was flown with a drone and stitched into a 3D orthographic model. Proprietary blast design software was used to create a blast design solution that would allow for a series of blasts that would provide required fragmentation and muckpile development and not disturb the sump or electrical box. A drill patten was created for each blast using the burden heat map and 3D face profiles created from the 3D orthographic model. Timing contour lines and muckpile displacement predictions were used to create timing sequences for proper face movement away from the sump and electrical box. The shot designs were laid out with a GPS system to insure hole location accuracy. All holes were remeasured for proper face burdens using the 3D model and Boretrak®® data collected after drilling operations were completed to insure hole locations were within face burden tolerances as derived by the burden heat map. After each drill log was reviewed, a charge loading scenario was created for each hole. The timing design created, for each shot and was reviewed and adjusted as needed with regard to desired muckpile displacement away from the sump and electrical box. Blasting results were satisfactory, with fragmentation and muckpile development consistent with the calculated throw from the blast model, with no rock hitting the pump or box and no rocks striking the sump water and disturbing the pump motor.

Jan 21, 2025

By Alvin D. Christmas

The missing link is a connector between the congested downtown area of Knoxville, Tennessee adjacent to the former World's Fair site, the I_40 I_75, and Western Avenue traffic arteries. This connecter was designed to accommodate the 37,470 motorists who presently travel through these highly congested narrow paths to be replaced by the 21.8 million dollar Henely Street Connecter. All construction and blasting was to take place while existing traffic was re_routed so as to allow access between the downtown area and the vital interstate corridor. To avoid major traffic problems, the project was to be accomplished in three phases: (1) the Western Avenue viaduct demolition; (2) two new viaducts to be constructed; (3) the open box cut at Henely Street next to the L & N Depot. Due to the past attempts by the Fort Sanders Community Home Owners group and the Historical Society to stop the Henely Street Connector, this project involved a very comprehensive blasting damage control program with special provisions of .5 inches per second measured at the foundation of the closest structure.

Jan 1, 1995

By Jamie Delgado, Marco Arelano

The changes of bench angles in an Open pit mine has a strong economical impact in the “mining business”, particularly in its cash flow related both to the decrease as well as to the increase of the global bench angle or the inter-ramp angle. The global vision of bench optimization process currently developed by Compafila Minera Zaldivar (CMZ), includes the interconnection of different processes driving to the completion of the designs. Thus five very influential areas are recognised such as: (1) The physical Surrounding terrain, (2) the strength parameters, (3) the observational model, (4) the acceptability criteria and (5) the operational considerations. One of the important variables affecting this process is Drilling and Blasting (D&B). Increasing the bench angle requires to optimisation of D&B. To achieve this efficiently controlled sub processes must be defined. Three (3) steps can be defined: (a) design parameters, (b) explosive energy distribution and (c) operation results. To control and improve said steps quantitative evaluations of D&B must be performed. One valid evaluation is the “near field vibration monitoring technique” (at bench level). With the application of damage criteria, measurements and modelling of particle velocity a proper definition and optimisation of stages (a), (b) and (c) was achieved, The use of this methodology has enabled to CMZ to successfully increase the inter-ramp angle in three degrees thus obtaining a saving of US$ 36 million in the waste material removed. Also, the efficient control of the bench slopes has resulted in the improvement of the fragmentation operational results. This has resulted in a 26Oh increase in the ore processing by saving energy in the primary crusher due to its performance improvement.

Jan 1, 2001

By Frank Lucca

This paper includes research and investigation into blast design and blast optimization for vibration control in municipal and tight blasting situations, where specifications were extremely stringent. The paper is written for the field blaster to understand and develop blast plans based on field conditions. The paper includes blast design considerations, utilizing seismograph arrays to check and predict vibration results, and problems encountered in vibration monitoring in extremely tight situations (0-20 feet). Blast vibration frequency, acceleration, peak particle velocities, and relative displacement are discussed with effects in the near and far fields and blast designs utilized to stay under limits. The paper also discusses using the latest in technology for blast design to control vibration. Equipment includes 2D and 3D laser profiling systems, digital video, fragmentation analysis, seismograph arrays, and borehole tracking devices. Other topics are discussed such as public relations, working with regulatory personnel, unions, and other project consultants, and the problems associated with municipal blasting situations, such as, flyrock and proximity of other personnel and equipment on the project.

Jan 1, 2004

By Janos Foldesi, Calvin J. Konya

The determination of the number of primers necessary to efficiently initiate an explosive column charge is essential to good blasting. If the number of primer is insufficient, the total energy stored in the main charge will not be released. On the other hand, the use of too many primers will be counterproductive and raise the blasting cost. Tests were conducted by the authors to determine the correct priming procedure for a basalt quarry. This paper describes the results of those tests.

Jan 1, 1976

By J T. Keim

Members and guests of the Society of Explosive Engineers, it's indeed a pleasure for a longtime practical user such as myself to have the ears of so many explosive experts for a few minutes just to express my feelings and concerns on blasting as well as the feelings and concerns of many other users and operators.

Jan 1, 1978

By Richard Turnbull

Maules Creek mine is an open cut coal near Boggabri in the Gunnedah Basin of New South Wales, Australia. The mine is currently operating at an annualised run rate of 9.5Mt of saleable coal. The plan is to ramp up production to 13Mtpa. Maules Creek has multiple seams each with varying depths; the inter-burden ranges from a few metres thick to greater than 30m (98ft). Due to this, Maules Creek mine is utilising truck shovel operations rather than a cast/dozer push operation.

Jan 1, 2018

By Bob de Raadt

After a review of the general principles for blasting stacks, the stagnations of two stack demolitions are investigated. The author concludes and demonstrates that MS-delay blasting can be risky under certain circumstances. How this initiation device can still be applied safely to the demolition of stacks is shown in an account of a blasting operation, in which two 106-m (350 ft) -high concrete stacks were involved. The recent discovery of a possible hazard of MS initiation in this field of blasting is an essential contribution to increased safety in blasting tall structures.

Jan 1, 1982

By P Cotton, N Cox

The Brisbane City Council has implemented a program of continual improvement at its Mount Coot-tha Quarry in the heart of Brisbane, Australia. The program has been underway for the past 6 years, and has resulted in very significant improvements in terms of both the cost effectiveness of its operation, and in terms of its environmental impact on nearby residents. The work has included a focus, amongst other things, on blasting efficiency, and has challenged conventional thinking in terms of the size of blasts fired, the frequency of firing, the diameter of blastholes, and the use of bulk emulsion or slurry explosives.

Jan 1, 1995

By Chanhwi Shin, Hyeongmin Kang

Mine optimization is a key strategy in the mining industry that focuses on improving the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of mining operations. To achieve mine optimization, digitalization is essential for modernizing mining operations and attaining optimal performance. Due to the importance of mine digitalization, various software and platforms have been released to support this effort. Furthermore, by integrating these advanced technologies, mines can enhance processes, leading to significant economic and operational benefits. However, integrating data from various sources and collaborating across different platforms remains a significant challenge in the mining industry. Generally, data for mine optimization, such as mapping, smart drilling, FMS (Fleet Management Systems), fragmentation analysis, or vibration analysis, are collected and analyzed separately on different platforms. This separation makes it difficult to aggregate and utilize data comprehensively for overall mining process optimization. During the digitalization process, obstacles arise due to these complexity, variability, and sharing issues of data across different maker, sources, and methods. These challenges highlight the need for seamless integration to achieve optimal mining operations. Thus, this study applied a total solution that can cover the entire Drilling and Blasting (D&B) processes. The blast design was performed using actual terrain mapping data, and drilling and charging were conducted following a guide based on the blast design plan. After blasting, loading and hauling distances and fuel consumption were measured, and fragmentation for each blast was evaluated. All measurement tasks were automated to minimize human error. By collecting all data in one server, it became possible to perform an overall evaluation for each blast, allowing the identification of optimal values. In conclusion, to evaluate the optimization effects for each mining process, one month of integrated data collected on a single server was used. Compared to the period before the Total solution was implemented, there were notable improvements: a 25% enhancement in hole spacing, a 60% improvement in floor flatness, a 23% reduction in average fragment size, and a 19% improvement in fragment uniformity. Regarding cost savings per blasting volume, the improvements were 11.7% in drilling, 9.3% in explosives, 7.6% in loading, and 17.5% in hauling.

Jan 21, 2025

By R. Wharton, M. Bagley

The paper reviews the likely introduction of a European directive covering the sale of pyrotechnic articles in member states of the European Union. The background and structure of the directive are described, together with the range of products covered (which includes fireworks, theatrical pyrotechnics, vehicle airbags and seat belt pretensioners, and certain cartridges). Possible timescales and the implications for industry are also discussed.

Jan 1, 2007

By William McFerren, Pragasen Moodley

In contrast to global trends, African, especially South African, surface mining operations have shown a significant rate of adoption of Electronic Detonators (ED’s) over the last few years. Proven benefits of converting to ED’s from pyrotechnic initiation systems have aided this market conversion. These benefits are experienced throughout the mining operation. Benchmarking exercises, prior to the introduction of ED’s, form part of the conversion process and allow for quantifying improvements. Extensive work has been done on quantifying the benefits of converting to ED’s and have shown that results can be reproducible. Improvements have been experienced in many applications and include environmental impact control, improved mining efficiencies, increased cast benefit and improved size distribution. These step changes in blasting results, in conjunction with the adoption of ED technology have aided the rapid conversion of the African surface market.

Jan 1, 2004

By C. Aimone-Martin, C. Dowding, M. Jern, J. Gjødvad

This article compares percentages of compliance for six national standards to demonstrate how these standards vary on-site in a real project. This, to the best of the authors' knowledge, has not been accomplished before. Different standards not only vary in allowable amplitudes of induced vibrations but also in how they are measured (transducer location, transducer orientation, frequency content of vibration, etc.). Thus it is not straightforward to compare the permissible values of induced vibrations with each other. This challenge of comparison is overcome in this project by instrumenting a structure with multiple transducers according to different national standards and comparing the degrees of compliance. Compared herein are compliance with standards used in United States of America, Germany, Great Britain, France, Austria, and Sweden. Averages of the percentage of compliance and ratios of measured vibration amplitudes for all six national standards are compared both in tabular and graphical form for 20 blasts at the Aitik mine northern Sweden. It is the largest open pit mine in Europe and blasts are atypically large with more than 1000 kg charge per hole and several hundred holes per blast, lasting 3-5 seconds. Results show that percentages of compliance can vary by as much as 2 to 75 % for these blasts at this structure. The overall project is a cooperative effort between EFEE (European Federation of Explosives Engineers) and ISEE (International Society of Explosives Engineers), supported by more than 17 persons from 8 different countries. At the present the experts are the four authors of the present paper and Dr. Robert Farenfield, Dr. Nathan Rouse, Douglas Rudenko, Brent Meins, Kenneth K. Eltschlager, Karin NorénCosgriff, Travis A. Davidsavor, Vitor Luconi Rosenhaim, Johannes Kutschera, Bernard Thierry, Thomas Moser, Cory Loukedis, and Keith Best. The project began with a literature study and a survey including an evaluation of the answers provided by members of EFEE. Results were presented at the ISEE conference in Denver 2020 as well as the EFEE conference in Helsinki in 2019 (Gjødvad & Jern, 2019; 2020). The second part of the project was initiated in May 2021 with installation of 7 seismographs from two different manufactures, 3 cracs gauges and 2 microphones on a building at the Aitik mine in northern Sweden. The third part of the project has moved to the United States. Two residential structures adjacent to quarries are being monitored in Michigan and Ohio. Installation and monitoring began in March 2023 and are expected to continue for 6 to 12 months. In addition to the objectives of phase two the 2023 study includes calculations of global wall strains from measured velocity time histories and measurement of response of existing cracks to vibratory and climatological effects

Jan 1, 2024

By Mattos J. L. C

Drilling and blasting with explosives in mining operations near communities require careful planning to mitigate socio-environmental impacts. Ground vibration, noise emission, flyrock, and dust dispersion are factors that may trigger conflicts with local populations. However, large-scale operations demand high productivity and intense material handling, making it essential to balance operational performance with impact control. The adoption of best practices, combined with advanced monitoring and mitigation technologies, enables sustainable mining even in proximity to inhabited areas. This study proposes the use of double and triple-deck blasting techniques with large-diameter boreholes (12 ¼” – 311 mm), addressing the sizing of charges and decks, as well as measures aimed at reducing noise perceived by nearby communities. The approach seeks to maintain the use of large drilling rigs already present in the operation, avoiding costs related to premature equipment replacement or expensive alternatives, while minimizing environmental and social impacts and promoting a more balanced and responsible mining model.

Jan 26, 2026