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By Dale S. Preece

A Discrete element computer program named DMC (Distinct Motion Code) has been developed for modeling rock blasting. This program employs explicit time integration and uses spherical or cylindrical elements which are represented as circles in 2-D. DMC calculations have been compared with measurements on bench blasts in the field with relatively good comparison. Structural geology and joint sets have a significant impact on any blast and DMC has not, until now, included these effects. This paper discusses a recently added DMC capability for treating joints and bedding planes in bench blast simulations.

Jan 1, 1995

By Mark S. Stagg, Rolfe E. Otterness, Stephen A. Rholl

The Bureau of Mines fired seven test blasts in a 22-ft bench of limestone, screening the material to investigate the influence of explosive type and between row delays on fragmentation. Four 4-hole, single-row test shots were conducted evaluating dynamite, ANFO, emulsion, and a 60-40 emulsion-ANFO mix. Three 12-hole shots, with three rows of 4-holes, evaluated delays between rows of 24, 36, and 120 ms. Accurate in-hole electronic delays were used, firing within 1.5-ms of the nominal delay. All seven shots had a 6- to 7-ft burden, 10-ft spacing, with a hole diameter of 3-1/2 in fired on a 12-ms delay between holes in the row. The tests were instrumented with strain gauges grouted in the burden region examining stress wave and gas pressure effects. Fiber optic probes were used to confirm timing and to obtain detonation velocities.

Jan 1, 1989

By Mark S. Stagg, Steven V. Crum, Stephen A. Rholl

As part of its ongoing research concerning rock fragmentation by blasting, the Bureau of Mines has undertaken a series of test blasts where six cylinder-shaped pieces of granite rock were fragmented using high explosives. The tests were intended to: 1) Establish a dataset that could be used in the development and verification of theoretical models that simulate rock blasting and 2) To add to the fragmentation data currently being collected by Bureau researchers. The cylindrical geometry was chosen so that the fragmentation could be directly compared to two-dimensional computer simulations that assume an axisymmetric configuration as well as more sophisticated three-dimensional models. The granite cylinders, Carnelian granite and Charcoal granite, ranged in size from about 0.46 meters (18 inches) to 0.58 meters (23 inches) in diameter by 0.91 meters (36 inches) to 1.52 meters (60 inches) in length. Physical rock properties tests performed on the Charcoal granite cylinders indicated that the rocks did in fact have similar physical characteristics. PETN-based detonating cord and dynamite were used as the explosive charges and estimates of the values of some important physical properties are given. For the first five tests, the blasted rock was contained by a heavy rope mat suspended inside the Twin Cities Research Center's blasting shelter. The fragments from each of these shots were sorted and weighed to determine the corresponding fragment-size distributions. Even though different types of granite and cylinder sizes were used, similar fragment distributions were produced from shots that used a similar explosive, in this case the PETN-based detonating cord, and comparable burden-to-charge diameter ratios. Significantly coarser fragmentation was produced from a blast that used dynamite as the explosive charge. Fragment velocities were calculated using photographic data from the sixth test which was shot unrestrained in a quarry and filmed with high-speed cameras.

Jan 1, 1990

By Franklin J. A, Tam C. Palangio, N H. Maerz

WipFrag systems I, II and III have become the world standard in photoanalysis systems to measure particle sizes. Mines, quarries and excavating contractors can now easily measure blast results and track the progress of optimization efforts. This technology was developed and evolved ~to allow automatic measurements of the size distribution of particles on moving conveyors, in truck boxesand on crusher feeds. Production machinery can now be controlled by photoanalysis results and multiple cameras allow various locations to be monitored by a single system. Blast designs can, be monitored on a shot by shot basis. Changes in delay times, explosives, patterns and hole sizes can be quickly evaluated. Along with this measurement capability has come a heightened awareness of the importance of “optimum size” and uniformity of particles for lowest cost production and material handling efficiency. In the past, savings in the “drill / blast” cycle of the operation were sometimes overshadowed by downstream production costs related to fragmentation. Now total production costs can be compared with fragmentation sizes, which will immediately show the trend towards optimum size for economical production. No cost reduction program can be complete without this critical information.

Jan 1, 1998

By Hector O. Romero, Paulo C. Fernández A, Christian Rees Prado, Claudio C. Gajardo

In open-pit mining operations, the presence of remnants from past underground labors represents a significant operational challenge, especially if they are in the surroundings of high-grade zones. The existence of uncrushable elements, such as metallic support fragments of abandoned equipment, can trigger critical operational issues if they reach conveyor belts systems or primary crushers, jeopardizing the mine to plant operational continuity. These kinds of incidents lead to expensive unplanned shutdowns, the increasing of corrective maintenance events costs, and risk to meeting expected production results. This work demonstrates the application of a three-dimensional numerical modeling tool for simulating rock displacement post-blasting (by integrating key design parameters, such as blast pattern design, detonating times, charge distribution and pre and post blast surveying). The study was conducted at Andina Mine, operated by Codelco, Chile, and enabled the identification and zoning of areas with potential presence of underground hazards in displaced rock mass, using historical data from previous workings and geotechnical mapping. The displacement results were compared to the actual post-blast surveying, ensuring an acceptability level above 80%, considering both fully confined (bank opening) and free-face blasts. Additionally, this approach allows the determination of an optimal safety offset, initially set at 10 meters and currently under validation for potential reduction. The results supported the determination of safe extraction zones and the design of excavation, loading, and haulage strategies from mine to plant or stockpile, ensuring 100% reliability in the segregation of high risk materials. Implementing displacement simulations underscores their relevance in operational risk prevention and mitigation, adding value to short-term mine planning and strengthening the safety, efficiency and profitability of the open-pit mining production process.

Jan 26, 2026

By Thomas A. Simpson, Yung-Kwaun Jow, Dennis L. Gamble

Construction of the $200 million Riverchase Galleria Mall in Hoover, Alabama was started in early 1984. The construction area consists of about 70 acres. The extensive building complex requires heavy concrete foundations which have to be poured during the early stages of construction and on a nearly daily situation so that contractual agreements can be met on a timely basis.

Jan 1, 1985

By Thomas A. Simpson, Yung-Kwaun Jow, Dennis L. Gamble

Construction of the $200 million Riverchase Galleria Mall in Hoover, Alabama was started in early 1984. The construction area consists of about 70 acres. The extensive building complex requires heavy concrete foundations which have to be poured during the early stages of construction and on a nearly daily situation so that contractual agreements can be met on a timely basis.

Jan 1, 1985

By Jesús V. Saccsa, Kenji B. Loayza, Erick M. Condori, Jorge A. Velásquez

This research investigates how to reduce manufacturing costs of a safety fuse composed of black powder, replacing its ingredient NO3K by NO3Na for processing, and contributing to minimize costs per blasting.

Jan 1, 2017

By Rob Farnfield

The control of vibration from surface mine blasting by the application of detonator (cap) delay techniques has been universally accepted for many years. For almost as long it has been known that, for delay techniques to be effective, a minimum of 8 milliseconds delay must exist between blast holes.

Jan 1, 1999

By James W. Reil, Douglas A. Anderson, Steven L. Burchell

A total of 26 full-scale production blasts at three sites were extensively monitored with sophisticated instrumentation systems to determine the benefits of more accurate detonators. The new and more accurate MS electric Masterdet detonator was tested against conventional detonators to determine any increase in productivity outputs. All blast design parameters between paired blasts were kept as constant as possible with the only difference being the inherent accuracy of both detonator systems.

Jan 1, 1986

By Shad M. Sargand, Manseok Chang, Glenn A. Hazen

Customarily, peak particle velocity of surface wave vibrations has been the recommended criterion for the prediction of blast damage to structures. Currently blast spectrum and natural frequencies of a structure have been also recognized as important for predicting damage potential. While others have considered the importance of structural frequencies, they have not analyzed the structural response spectrum when establishing damage criteria.

Jan 1, 1992

By G. Walsh, L. Wolkovitch, A. Savage, V. Romero, T. Zimmerly, G. Imahara, J. Hyneman, K. Byron, D Tapster, S. Belleci, J. Metzger, M. Stanley

Testing was conducted at the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center for the MythBusters on three separate occasions. This testing included (1) an experiment designed to create diamond from graphite using the shock and pressure of a detonation, (2) the flattening of a car using a steel plate driven by a rocket sled, and (3) the bifurcation of a car also using a rocket sled. All tests were successful; diamond was produced following the detonation of ANFO, and extracted from a graphite / cobalt matrix. A plate was accelerated to 646 mph (1040 km/hr) using a two-stage sled system loaded with 5” (12.7 cm) high velocity aircraft rockets (HVAR) into a car, which was subsequently demolished. Finally, a steel wedge was pushed to 541 mph (871 km/hr) by a one stage sled using HVAR rockets, and was able to cleanly cut a target car in half.

Jan 1, 2010

By Jikai Rong Changai Liu

The dig instrument by blasting is a,new product we developed(See Fig. 1) It is an apparatus to dig hole at the ground. It is composed of combustor A, combustor B, charge pipe and shock head. Work characteristics of Combustor A are that combustion time is 1. 5 seconds, driving force is 725kg. Work characteristics of combustor B are that the combustion time is 1. 3 seconds, driving force is 460kg. After the combustor is ignited, the charge pipe is drived into ground immediately. Then, whole dig instrument is threw out automatically, but explosive in charge pipe is left in ground and blast in the twinkling. The diameter of vertical hole formed by blasting is 3cm to 60cm which is controlled according to engineering requirement. The maximum depth of the hole diged by using the dig instrument is 2M. It applies to blindage of single solidier in military affairs, and hole planting pole as well as sewer in civil use and so on. The two shots are charged in combustors to dig a hole. The maximum weight of shot is 490g, minimum is 130g. The whole process diging hole is completed automatically in about ten seconds.

Jan 1, 1998

There is an intuitive tendency to equate rock strength with rock stability, yet the two must be evaluated separately. A slope in strong hard rock is not necessarily stable, nor is a slope in weathered weak rock necessarily unstable. In some cases the reverse is true, depending on the geometry of joints and weak planes. The time element is a matter of special concern, that is how suddenly the failure begins and how rapidly it progresses. Sudden failures can be catastrophic, whereas creep usually is not. In soils and weathered rock, the process is usually incremental and is more likely to give some warning of impending failure. With careful observation, the failure process in these materials can be detected and monitored instrumentally or visually. In some cases, the slope may be stabilized, reinforced or modified. When that is not possible, there is usually enough time on this type of slope to remove men and equipment from the area before complete failure occurs.

Jan 1, 1996

By N Vijay Mohan, K V. Balamukund, G Ananth Ramulu

Jointing of steel rods in reinforced concrete structures needs careful consideration as it renders the structure weak at the joint. The jointing is usually done at sections of structural members, where the bending moment and shear force are least. Jointing is done either by overlapping the rods or welding or by mechanical splicing. A novel method of jointing them is by inserting the two rods in a steel sleeve and cladding it on to the rods by subjecting the sleeve to explosive energy. A rod jointed in this fashion is tested for direct tension and bending when used in a reinforced concrete beam. The test results show that it is an effective method. The advantage is that a number of joints can be made in a single operation.

Jan 1, 1993

By Robert Hopler

In use, blasting powder is exploded by a spark from fuse, electric squib or miner’s squib, or by a primer of some high explosive, the last being employed only in heavy charges on open work. In mining, and sometimes in light charges on open work, blasting powder is made into cartridges by means of a paper tube or cylinder sealed at one end, which is known as the Du Pont tamping bag. Sometimes the paper cylinder is made by the miner by coiling a section of heavy paper, known as blasting paper, around a wooden pin, called a cartridge pin, and securing it with what is called blasting soap. The removal of the pin leaves a cylindrical cartridge open at one end, into which the powder is poured and the top folded and sealed with blasting soap.

Jan 1, 2014

By J T. Schamaun

Recent applications of explosives and blasting agents to rubble rock have led to requirements for more elaborate design and analysis methods. In most blasting uses, it is necessary not only to fracture the rock, but also to move the broken rubble in a predictable manner. Many in situ extraction techniques require; rubblization to take place in a confined region where rock motion is a predominate factor in creating a permeable broken bed. In this paper, an engineering model is presented which describes the large rubble motion during blasting. This model is intended to provide the blast designer with a tool for evaluation and further refinement of blasting patterns and timing sequences.

Jan 1, 1983

By Thomas E. Ricketts

Limited void volume blasting (LVVB) occurs when rock is blasted into a volume that is not sufficient to let the rock expand to its free-bulking value. The freebulking value is obtained when the rock particles have enough space to separate, tumble and rotate to produce the maximum amount of void possible between the fragments when they finally come to rest. Although bulking value depends on particle size distribution and shape, a typical free-bulking value for uniform, finely broken shale is about 1.67. LVVB occurs in almost every type of blasting used in both surface and underground mining operations. For example, in multiple-row bench blasting for surface mining, the final delays that are designed to fragment the rock furthest from the free-face are generally confined by previously blasted rock which results in a LVVB situation. In underground mining, the blasting is automatically confined and is commonly done intentionally to limited void volume to reduce mining cost and improve safety. LVVB primarily affects rubble bulking and thus the excavation of the broken rock which is related to the productivity and economics of a mining operation.

Jan 1, 1989

By Abraham Lindo

Taboguilla is a small island located 10 miles outside the Panama Canal Pacific Entrance. In 2002 a fuel distribution facility was installed in order to supply fuel to vessels passing thru the canal. The current capacity of the tank farm is equivalent to 1,100,000 barrels. The demand for marine diesel at this location still exceeds the current capacity, thus an expansion project is currently underway to increase the available space for diesel tanks. There is a total of 800,000 cubic meters to be excavated in order to create the new space. 400,000 cubic meters of that total is basalt rock which will need to be blasted

Jan 1, 2011

By Roger Favreau, Patrice Favreau

Without blasting there can be no roads, no hospitals, no factories, not even foundations for homes. Yet in 1960 the only way to design a blast was by trial/error. By comparison, bridges were already designed by calculations before being actually built. This was possible because equations based on the fundamental principles of science existed with which all the stresses in the bridge could be calculated. In 1960 no equations based on the fundamental principles of science existed with which the mechanisms that take place inside the rock mass during a blast could be calculated. Since then the main author made it the objective of his research to seek such equations, and to validate that they gave accurate answers by means of experiments in the field, experiments made in co-operation with mines, quarries and the explosives industry; results have been reported in some 90 publications.These equations now deal with essentially all aspects of a bench blast: the intensity of the shock wave and the fragmentation size distribution throughout the rock mass; the movement of all the fragments into the muck pile; the fly rock and vibrations from the blast; etc.; are presented examples of such equations. They are now assembled into a computer simulator called Blaspa accessible on the Web, with which one can design a blast just as a bridge is designed. An example is presented. The reason to design a blast by simulations rather than solely by trial/error is that if it leads to damage, it is only after the actual blast that the blast design is realized to cause damage. If however the blast design had been simulated before the blast, then the risk of damage is identified before the blast and is prevented by redesigning the blast. Examples of such situations are presented. The need to a void damage is very necessary because the public is becoming opposed to blasting. When a blast does cause damage, and people learn that the blast was designed solely by trial/error even though simulation was available and would have prevented damage, they become even more strongly against blasting; they may succeed in getting a quarry closed. Their objections to unchecked blasting are not unreasonable, especially as simulating a blast with Blaspa on the Web is a very simple procedure.

Jan 1, 2013