Rock Fragmentation

Spring 2012

MNGN 407

3.0 Credit Hours

Colorado School of Mines

Mining Engineering Department
Instructor: Dr. Vilem Petr vpetr@mines.edu
Teaching Assistant: Christoph Hurley churley@mines.edu
Office Hours: Dr. Petr - by appointment
Christoph Monday, 12:00-1:00, and by appointment
Course Objectives:
This course gives students in engineering or applied science an introduction to
drilling and blasting for rock fragmentation. Theory and application of rock drilling:
principles of rock penetration, rock-bit interactions, specific energy, prediction of
penetration rate, types of drilling and drill-bits, machine selection. Theory of rock
fragmentation by: explosives as well as theory of crushing and grinding. Design of blast
for surface and underground excavation will be discussed with specific interest in
fragmentation optimization and environmental effect control.
Text:
Drilling and Blasting of Rocks, By: Carlos Lopez Jimeno, Emilio Lopez Jimeno
and Francisco Javier Ayala Carcedo, A.A. Balkema, Brookfield,
VT, 1997. ISBN: 90 5410 1997
ISEE Blasters Handbook, ISBN: 978-1-892396-19-8
Course Structure:
The class will be held over 8, 4-hour classroom periods and 2 field exercises.
Class will be held every other week according to the schedule on page 2 of this syllabus.
Attendance is mandatory for all class periods. Evening classes will be held in AH 152. A
portion of the class will be held at the Explosives Research Laboratory (ERL) in Idaho
Springs, CO and in the ammonium nitrate testing lab in BB 105.
Coursework:
Course work will consist of several in-class exercises, four homework
assignments, one semester long project, and a final exam. The project will either be a
report and presentation on a blast design.
Grading:
In-class exercises
Homework
Final Exam
Project and Presentation
Final Grade

20%
30%
20%
30%
100%

100%- 90%
89%- 80%
79%- 70%
69%- 60%
59% = F

=A
=B
=C
=D

General Course Outline

Date

Topic

Homework

1/23

Overview of Rock Fragmentation and Geology

2/6

Drilling (Atlas Copco Guest Lecture)

Drilling Estimation

2/20

Regulations (CDL Guest Lecture)

Assign Projects/ Regulations

3/5

Initiation Systems, Explosives Science

Explosives/ Oxygen Balance

3/19

Initiation Systems Demonstration (at ERL)

4/2

Blast Design

Blast Design

4/16

Blast Timing (Orica Guest Lecture)

Timing Design

4/30

Ammonium Nitrate Quality Lab (BB 105)

AN Quality Report

5/7

Final Exam and Presentation