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By Valeri Mitkov

Studena Quarry is one of the main suppliers of inert materials for concretes production in Sofia. It is characterized by massif heterogeneity in density and fissuration. Failure to take into consideration this fact during the planning of the blasting works recently had unsatisfying results in their carrying out – obtaining of materials with too small dimensions or high percentage of outsize material. Series of test blasting were carried out to find the relations for calculation of the main parameters of the drilling and blasting works. The blasting network was enlarged to 6 x 6 m, the diameter of the shot-boreholes was changed from 110 to 152 mm, the stem of the boreholes was significantly reduced and the relative consumption of blasting agents as a whole was reduced to 0,37 ?g/m3.

Jan 1, 2010

By S D. Cummings

"CRACKS CONCERN CORPORATION" Was the headline on the front page of the Terre Haute Tribune Star, March 1994. Having spent several years following up on blast-induced damage allegations made this article especially interesting. Knowing that there were no operating mines within 30 miles of this newly built, yet to be occupied building, also made the reading more enjoyable. The article went on to read, "Vigo County school officials have asked architects to find out whether some cracks in walls at the new school are due to NORMAL settling or if they indicate serious structural problems." It is obvious that if there were a mine within "Feeling" distance, blasting and the operator would have immediately become suspect as at least one of the potential causes. More alarming is that the investigation may have stopped there.

Jan 1, 1995

By Rakesh Raghavaraju, Bibhu Mohanty

The paper analyzes the decay of shock pressure as a function of distance from the borehole, and its implication on shock-induced fracture properties of the target rock as the first step in predicting fracture and fragmentation behaviour in a well-characterized rock.

Feb 1, 2020

By Gordon Lovegrove, Jeffrey Leob, Dwayne Tannant

It has long been known that the combination of aluminum (AL) powder to ammonium nitrate (AN) / fuel oil (FO) can greatly enhance fragmentation or ultimately reduce the number of blast holes in a pattern. Decades of research have meticulously provided optimal AL:AN:FO ratios showing dramatic increases in energy output levels, yet widespread use of aluminized ANFO (ALANFO) has yet to replace the use of ANFO in the blasting world today. This may be due to the perception that the upfront, increased cost of materials deters the selection of this advantageously modified explosive. Researchers have explored this question and promote ALANFO by pledge of massive reductions in day-to-day operational costs. However, in these analyses there is a complete disregard for the external costs of the material; the environmental effects and sustainability considerations of the product. A holistic social cost-benefit analysis of ALANFO shows that an admittedly high-cost explosive does indeed provide an output which contains a wealth of operational savings in typical blast patterns. However, the immediate, on-site costs and savings do not define the limitations of this analysis. A complete comparison of the externalities including the environmental and sustainability considerations of the aluminum by-product life-cycle, and the environmental impacts of both the refinement of ammonium nitrate prills and the acquisition of sufficient fuel oil are also assessed. A savings of $216,000 / year through the use of ALANFO in one particular case study was recalculated to an increase in drilling and blasting costs of $188,000 when the external costs of aluminum, ammonium nitrate, and fuel oil are included analysis. The results of this analysis are intended to improve contractors? selection of explosives by providing additional societal and environmental factors into the equation, in preparation for an exponential global shift to greener business operations, while allowing them to remain competitive.

Jan 1, 2011

By Eduardo Lozano, Vilem Petr

The use of explosives bring countless benefits to our everyday lives in areas such as mining, oil and gas exploration, demolition or avalanche control. However, because of the potential destructive power of explosives, strict safety procedures must be an integral part of any explosives operation. The goal of this paper is to provide a solution against the hazards which unfortunately accompany the use of explosives. For this reason, a blast shield is specifically designed and tested for protecting personnel against these unpredictable effects. This document will develop a complete analysis answering the following questions: what are the potential hazards from an air blast; what are their effects; and how can we be protected against them. In order to answer these questions, theoretical, analytical, and numerical calculations are performed. Finally, a full blast shield prototype is tested under blasting conditions proving its effectiveness as a safety device while explosives are used.

Jan 1, 2015

The following situation was submitted as an ethics case study for inclusion in the Journal. To the best of our knowledge, they are based on actual circumstances encountered in the field. Blowing the Whistle Protecting Confidentiality or Doing the Right Thing? This case centers around a construction job and involves a contractor, subcontractor/blaster, and a farmer/homeowner who lives near the job site. It is essentially a study of professional ethics versus morality, our professional code of conduct versus what is right or wrong.

Jan 1, 2007

By W. J. Birch, R. Farnfield, S. Hosein, C. Johnson

Modern smart phones include accelerometers based on MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) technology giving the possibility to measure both acceleration and orientation. The widespread use of such phones has driven technological development to such a degree that it is now possible to obtain a triaxial accelerometer unit, that also include signal conditioning and analogue to digital conversion, in a package smaller than 1 cm2 (1/2 sq.in) for a relatively low cost.

Feb 6, 2023

By Charles Zdazinsky

Many blasting applications in the mining industry demand that the hard rock being blasted remains structurally competent. For example, pre-splitting is a common technique to reduce fracturing, and operators of dimension stone quarries use this blasting method to eliminate overbreak. When pre-split design parameters are not applied correctly, there will be a redistribution of stresses within the rock, resulting in Blast Induced Rock Damage (BID). Advances in geophysical technology are enabling blast technicians to monitor BID and then use the results to correctly design their blasts.

Jan 1, 2011

By C. Morel, P. Fredes, L. Rojas

This article presents a comprehensive study on the development and application of the specific module called "Exclusion Zone" created by Orica to determine blast evacuation exclusion zones. This module, integrated into the "SHOTPlus™ (blast design software)" software, has been used in the context of optimizing equipment evacuation exclusion zones in a northern Chile mine. The main objective has been to reduce the travel times of extraction equipment without compromising the safety of individuals. The module considers various factors such as the explosive charges used, stemming, sector topography, and detonation sequence to determine the rock projection generated by the blast. Furthermore, it utilizes information collected by drones and support tools such as Groundprobe and BlastVision™. The results obtained demonstrate that the use of this technology has allowed the optimization of blast evacuation distances in the northern Chile mine, generating significant economic benefits for the client.

Jan 1, 2024

By Lon Santis

This paper analyzes 110 serious accidents that occurred during the use of commercial explosives in mining, construction, and other industries since 1992. Data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME) members’ reports, and media reports were used. Only accidents that resulted in a fatality, significant lost work time, or injury to the public were considered in this analysis. The accident data were analyzed for trends in frequency, type of industry, cause, type of individual harmed, and geographical region. Although the data showed that explosives accidents are decreasing in frequency, still, 29 people were killed and 134 injured. Eightyfive of the accidents occurred in mining, 17 occurred in construction, and 8 occurred in other industries including oil recovery, seismic exploration, agriculture, logging, boiler cleaning, and avalanche blasting. As other studies have shown, flyrock and failure of blast area security caused over half of the accidents. Mishandling, misfires, or fumes caused just over one-third of the accidents. Lightning and drilling into explosives were responsible for the remainder of accidents.

Jan 1, 2003

By Stephen G. Rieben

Almost everyone has at least heard of the two one-call systems which serve New England. They are "Call Before You Dig", which covers Connecticut, and "Dig Safe", which covers the remaining five New England states. Those of you who are more familiar with these programs know that it is our job to help guard against the accidental dig-ups of buried plant and to prevent facility service disruptions. We cover all types of buried facilities, from cable television to high pressure gas transmissions lines, telephone cables, electric facilities, fiber optics and everything in between

Jan 1, 1990

By D. Johansson, C. San Miguel, U. Stenman, N. Petropoulos

Blasting is a commonly utilized method in civil engineering projects and mining operations. Ammonium nitrate-based (AN-based) explosives are the most efficient explosives today in terms of handling and performance. However, a side effect is the production of gases. The reduction of these gases plays an important role in the safety and environmental aspects in the working place. Therefore, optimizing the recipes of explosives is vital for minimizing the environmental impact and increasing performance. The aim of the project is to provide results and recommendations on the use of emulsion commercial explosives to support the Swedish mining industry and tunnel-contractors as well as the explosives manufactures. The approach was to test various recipes of civil emulsion explosives to investigate the generation of toxic fumes (CO, CO2, NO, NO2 and NOx) during their detonation. To further increase the knowledge of the influence of different additives, ammonium nitrate prills were added in various percentages. The experimental configuration consisted of magnetite mortar cylindrical specimens with a 50 mm borehole at their center, filled with emulsion explosive. Several tests with different emulsion compositions regarding ammonium nitrate additives (10%, 20%, 25%, 30% and 35%) were carried out in a blasting chamber. The measurement equipment was composed of a flue gas analyzer. The instrument was meticulously cleaned after every test, as well as before and during the tests due to condensation (high humidity and dust) at the inlet of the instrument. The emulsion was manually sensitized with microballons and pumped into the cylinders to ensure lack of bubbles, which could introduce inhomogeneities. The acquired gas concentration data was complemented with temperature, humidity, and VoD measurements. The results showed a linear increase of nitrogen gases as the percentage of ammonium nitrate prills increased. On the other hand, carbon gases had a relatively low coefficient of determination. The VoD data showed a behavior that can be described with a simple quadratic equation.

Jan 1, 2024

By Hairong Zeng, Shahram Tafazoli, Edmond Chow

Blast fragmentation is one of the main parameters for optimizing mineral processing, but reliable data is difficult to acquire, resulting in unpredictable performance and efficiency. Crusher and grinder circuits are designed to process specific rock size ranges. Oversized rocks require extra energy to reduce before feeding into the process, and undersized rocks indicate that the process is not used to its full extent. Blast design is the key to controlling the blast fragmentation, so the ability to accurately monitor the particle sizes is imperative.

Jan 1, 2011

By A B. Opperman

For many years explosives energy has been utilized in mining and construction as well as many other applications which are vital to our way of life. Many types of explosives have made their contribution as technology has moved forward. One of the best known was dynamite, which for many years was the mainstay of explosives users. Although dynamite had many advantages over its predecessors, it had the principal shortcomings of being somewhat hazardous to handle and was known as a headache producer.

Jan 1, 1975

By S B. Richardson, R E. Danell, D Mead, N T. Moxon

Explosives provide a very concentrated source of energy which is often well in excess of that required to adequately fragment the surrounding material. Blast design, environmental requirements, production requirements and the lack of detailed insitu geological data generally limits the degree to which the explosive energy distribution within the blasthole can be significantly altered using, for example, different explosive formulations or variable loading techniques. However, increased flexibility can often be exercised over a blast through the use of air-decks.

Jan 1, 1993

By Mark A. Rugen

It may be difficult to imagine but small engineering companies do exist, even in relatively large cities like San Antonio. Due to the limited capital available for the purchase or use of equipment such as computers, many times the small company must evaluate a blast damage claim by limited means. This paper will discuss how a relatively small company has managed to become the leading blast damage experts in an area without the use of computers or sophisticated equipment. It will be shown that a single individual in a company who is familiar with vibration theory, local soil conditions and who does not mind spending long hours with a calculator and reference books can satisfy both the insuranc e adjuster or attorney, and the homeowner concerning the claim. Several examples will be given which show the typical flow of work and the ultimate outcome. This paper will focus on the special problems encountered by a small firm and how these can be overcome, and the unique interaction of a small engineering firm with both the insurance adjuster/attorney and the homowner that can lead to an equitable settlement of the claim.

Jan 1, 1983

By Perry Sisk

In order to protect nearby structures during a blasting project, a peak particle velocity limit is often stipulated by a government agency or the owner of a particular structure. At the start of a blasting project, a preliminary estimate for the minimum scaled distance is often determined using a vibration prediction equation before any site-specific data have been obtained. Reasonably conservative assumptions are typically made for the unknown input variables in the vibration prediction equation until site-specific blasting data have been obtained and evaluated. Although this approach is prudent, it provides no assurance that the peak particle velocity values generated during the initial phase of the project will be below the specified limit.

Jan 1, 2013

By Randall M. Wheeler, Kenneth K. Eltschlager

Blasting Seismographs use microphones to measure air overpressure from blasting. The microphone height above the ground has been the object of some controversy. The current ISEE “Field Practice Guidelines for Blasting Seismographs” specify microphone placement within 1.2 inches of the ground or over 3 feet above the ground. In this study, air overpressure measurements were taken at different height intervals and compared. Blasting seismographs constructed to the ISEE “Performance Standards for Blasting Seismographs” were used to monitor construction, quarry, and coal mine blasting. Near and far field measurements were taken to obtain representative spectral and amplitude ranges. The comparative analysis shows that microphone height has negligible impact on air overpressure measurements.1

Jan 1, 2005

By Tapas Kumar Mukherjee, Sujit Kumar, Sanjay Kumar Singh

This paper dwells on the epic blast conducted at Tata Steel’s captive coal mine in India and the insights drawn from it. Optimal blast design parameters had to be ascertained for operating benches (6.56 yards (6 meters) to 16.40 yards (15 meters)) where shovels and mining pay-loaders are deployed. Better fragmentation and suitable muck profile with controlled vibration levels were the pre-requisites. The landmark blast was carried out at Quarry-AB, West Bokaro on 17th March 2017. The colossal blast was done with 275 US ton (250 tonnes) of explosives poured down 1074 drill holes of 6.5 inch (165 mm) diameter. This blast is unique from the perspective of vibration control as it was conducted near local villages situated beyond 546 yards (500 meters) but within 601 yards (550 meters)) from the blast site. The entire array of preparatory activities had been successfully and impeccably executed within the same day. The optimization was achieved through meticulous coordination between TSL team, M/s Solar and M/s IEL. When a rock is blasted, numerous interactions occur among granular particles which are impacted by rock mass properties, explosives properties, blasting geometry and the detonation timings. Optimized use of resources requires a better understanding of these interactions. Extensive field studies have shown that blast fragmentation and suitable muck profile influences the performance of downstream processes in a mine. Consequently, profitability of whole mining operation can be greatly improved through optimized fragmentation. For arriving at the best blast geometry, several blasts were conducted with differing ‘burden and spacing’ design and charging pattern at various loading benches of the mine. Eventually, the largest ever blast was successfully carried out. This accomplishment is the culmination of the insights derived, confidence built, and expertise evolved through a progression of larger blasts conducted earlier (202 US tons (184 tonnes) and 143 US tons (130 tonnes) respectively) by the same team. All blast parameters were within the recommended level and no adverse impact on nearby structures was evidenced. In-the hole VOD of different explosives was determined and placement of boosters was standardized. The signature blasts were conducted to optimize the delay interval between the holes in a row and between the rows. Blasting parameters were fine-tuned in alignment with the desired fragmentation level and muck pile profile conducive to smooth and expeditious loading and hauling by mining HEMM. Rock fragmentation analyses were carried out using photo-analysis system. The insights gained from this blast would serve as the cynosure for planning and carrying out more such blasts with highly optimized parameters in the future with the intent of improving mining efficiency and productivity

Jan 1, 2019

By Gabriel Gonzalez, Paulo Couceiro, Luis Manriquez, Alejandro Gutierrez, Juan Navarro

A high-stakes blasting campaign was successfully executed at a major open pit copper mine in northern Chile. This operation posed a significant technical challenge due to its immediate proximity to the tailings dam - a critical infrastructure whose structural integrity depends on strict control of blast-induced seismic vibrations. The geological complexity of the area, characterized by upper andesite interbedded with caliche (carbonate), further complicated the operation. This lithological composition, known for its high tenacity and cohesion, posed additional challenges for achieving effective fragmentation, necessitating a highly customized blast design and loading strategy. The campaign included four production blasts and one secondary blast, all executed under the constraint of not exceeding the Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) threshold of 0.64g, as defined by the Maximum Credible Earthquake (MCE) scenario. To ensure compliance, geophones were strategically installed at three monitoring points (P1, P2, and P3) on the dam to capture real-time acceleration data. The use of specialized blast patterns, precise stemming control, and electronically sequenced detonations ensured that all recorded accelerations remained well below the critical threshold. A total of 496,163 tonnes of material were safely blasted, with 8,452 meters drilled and powder factors ranging from 419 to 594 g/ton. Therefore, this case study exemplifies operational excellence in controlled blasting, demonstrating the feasibility of safe mining near geotechnically sensitive zones through predictive modeling, rigorous QA/QC, and post-blast analysis.

Jan 26, 2026