Blast Design Development and Comparison

Operation:
Known Site Parameters
Rock Density (g/cc)
Bench Height (m)
Explosive Diameter (mm)
Explosive Density (g/cc)
Explosive Energy AWS (J/g) ANFO = 3700, Heavy ANFO = 3300;
Calculation
1

Burden (m)
(((2 x Explosive Density / Rock Density) + 1.8) x Explosive Diameter) / 84

Stiffness Ratio
= Bench Height / Burden

Spacing (m)
= Burden x 1.15

Stemming Length (m)

= Burden x 0.7

Energy Distribution (%)

= (Bench Height - Stemming Length) x 100 / Bench Height

Subdrilling Length (m)

= Burden x 0.3

Blasthole Length (m)

= Bench Height + Subdrilling Length

Explosive Length (m)

= Blasthole Length - Stemming Length

Explosive Loading Density (kg/m)

= 0.000785 x Explosive Density x Explosive Diameter^2

10

Explosive Weight (kg/hole)

= Explosive Loading Density x Explosive Length

11

Explosive Energy (KJ/hole)

= Explosive Weight x Explosive Energy AWS

12

Volume Shot (bcm/hole)

= Bench Height x Burden x Spacing

13

Mass Shot (tonnes/hole)

= Volume Shot x Rock Density

14

Powder Factor (kg/bcm)

= Explosive Weight / Volume Shot

15

Powder Factor (kg/tonne)

= Explosive Weight / Mass Shot

16

Energy Factor (KJ/tonne)

= Explosive Energy / Mass Shot

17

Percent Difference in Energy Factor

= ((Energy Factor Design 2 / Energy Factor Design 1) - 1) x 100

Comparison
Date:
Design 1
2.7
15
165
0.85
3700

Design 2
2.7
6
102
1.35
4000

4.8

3.4

3.1

1.8

5.5

3.9

3.3

2.4

77.7%

60.3%

1.4

1.0

16.4

7.0

13.1

4.6

18.2

11.0

237.8

51.2

879895.7

204635.9

392.9

79.8

1060.8

215.4

0.6

0.6

0.2

0.2

829.4

950.2

Poor Fragmentation

15%

% reduction in wet blasthole equals

% reduction in dry blasthole equals

Decoupling Effect on Detonation Pressure

38
49