Mining of the Cave Arch Using the CARDOXProcedure

ZoranRadulovi ,MSC Master of Sciences in Mining

Abstract
The work describes procedure of rock blasting using the liquid carbon-dioxide (Cardox Procedure). The works were carried out in the the tunnel in the vicinity of Belgrade.

Introduction
The task we got was to expand and raise the arch of the existing cave (tunnel) built out of the Miocene Limestone for 1,8 2,5 meters in order to get the right height for building the object for commercial use. The classic procedure of blasting the object by using explosive could not be applied to this material, so we had to apply the procedure of blasting using the liquid carbondioxide, also known as CARDOX Procedure. As this kind of procedure is rarely used here, this was its trial and presentation, all in one. The effect was calculated and the Investor was fully satisfied.

Cardox Procedure
Cardoxsystem of non-explosive destruction of the rocks, concrete and other hard materials makes the ideal substitute for mining with classic explosive.It is developed in the United Kingdom 60 years ago for usage in the mines with methane occurrence. For destruction, it uses the pressure created during the conversion of carbon-dioxide form liquid to gaseous state. The pressure of the tube carbon-dioxide filling is about 500 bar and during the conversion to gaseous state it increases to about 3000 bar. The very conversion lasts aout 40 miliseconds with volume increase up to 600 times which causes the material to crack in the existing microcracks or along the lines of the least resistance.(picture 1).

Picture 1 -The Effect of the Cardoxtubes

The Main Parts of the CARDOXTube

The picture 2 shows us the cross-section of the Cardox tube consisted of the following elements: 1. Activation head is consisted of the several parts: Valve serves for filling the tube with carbon-dioxide at the pressure of 500 bar and after the filling it closes in order to keep the liquid carbon-dioxide inside the tube. Contacts servefor electric conductors in order to activate the electric igniter. Electrode located in the base of the activation head / serves to transmit the impulse to the electric igniter. 2.Chemical Energizer is an igniter that iniciates the conversion of carbon-dioxide (CO2) from liquid to gasouse state by creating the appropriate temberature. 3.Breakthrough Disc closes the down part of the tube and prevents the uncontrolable elakage of the carbon-dioxide. The disc is made in variousthickness and composition and this is how the pressure during the reaction gets controled. 4.Exhaust Head is thread attached to the down part of the tube. In the very moment of the reaction, after the creacking of the Breakthrough Disc,carbon-dioxide gas(CO2) leakes directedly from the tube through two openings, exhaust openings, located on a side at the agle of 1800 to the axis of the tube.Depending on the needs, exhaust head is used to direct gas in the desired direction.

Picture 2 -Cross section of the Cardoxtube

5.Plastic Holderis a plastic drum on the outside and the cone on the inside. By a cone holder it prevets the tube to outbursts from the drill by pulling the plastic holder on the cone holder in the moment of the carbon-dioxide freeing. It makes it spread,resisting the walls of the drill and does not allow the tube to get out.

Assignment
The task we got was to expand and raise the arch of the existing cave (tunnel) built out of the Miocene Limestone for 1,8 2,5 meters in order to get the right height for building the object for commercial use. The classic procedure of blasting the object by using explosive could not be applied to this material, so we had to apply the procedure of blasting using the liquid carbondioxide, also known as CARDOX Procedure. As this kind of procedure is rarely used here, this was its trial and presentation, all in one. The effect was calculated and the Investor was fully satisfied.

Picture 3-Initial sketch of the cave

Procedure
As we could not find the calculations required for the basic drilling and mining parameters, first we executed the drilling and destruction testing, and then made the direct correction. For the needs of the testing, we have set up a row of holes with distance =0.8 and drilled the 10 mine holes. The line of least resistance was W=1,0 and the angle of the drilling approximately =300. Activation was executed electrically. The rock has cracked by the drill line and fell on the cave floor. As we were dealing with the Miocene Limestone that had no microcracks and cracks, the entire piece has separated and during the fall, it cracked in three parts.Subsequent fragmentation was performed with manual pneumatic hammers, pickhammers,asnot even the smallest mechanisation could not pass through the cave gate.
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Exportation of the crashed rock was performed by the handcarts. Pictures number 4 and 5 show the size of the blocks we got as well as their crashing.

Picture 4 - Blocks we got by the separation of the cave arch

Picture 5 Crashing of the blocks

Drilling of the cave arch was done by hand pneumatic gun RK-21from the platform and with the supporting leg. The drilling cross-section was d=57 mm. The drilling depth was l=1,3m.
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After the testing was executed, only the correction of the drilling angle was made and now it is = 00relative to the free surface. The correction was made in order to get us the thinner blocks that would crash further during the fall as well as for getting the horizontal arch of the cave. Twenty blasts with 10 tubes for each blast was executed and it took off approximately 300 m3r of rock.. Cardoxtubes are l1=1.3 m long, in diameter d1=54 , and the weight varied between 820-890 gr. Pictures and sketches that follow show the phases of the work as well as the sketch of the final cave contours.

Picture 6 Drilling of the mine holes

Picture 7 Sketch of the Phase I with positioned Cardox tubes

Picture 8 Placing of theCardoxtubes

Picture 9 Sketch of the final look of the cave contours

Conclusion
Cardoxsystem is a quality improvement and the ideal replacement for the classic blasting with the explosive for the specific conditions and for specific purpose. The most important thing is that with this procedure we no longer have the zone of the crashing or the zone of the pulverization but only the zone of the material demolition. With thins way of demolition we execute the degradation of the rock by the existing system of cracks using the energy of the current expansion of the gas. It fulfills even the most extreme demands in environmental and ecological protection. The work has been executed in 16 days and the total amount of the demolished material was approximately 350m3 of rock.
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Literature: 1.Caldwell T.-A comparison of non-explosive rock breaking techniques. 2.CatalogsCardox.- Cardox Ltd. Internacional UK 3.Radulovi Z.-Tehni ki projekat pro irenja pe ine sistemom Cardox