BLAST DESIGN IN SURFACE MINES

Objectives of Blast Design

Obtaining optimum fragment size Proper degree of fragmentation to achieve the lowest combined cost of mining Utilising explosives energy properly through suitable blast design in the mines Controlling the unwanted effects of blasting Minimising the environmental impacts

Steps in Designing Of a Blast

Generate the geometry of the rock mass Determine the burden and spacing Establish the pattern of blast holes Determine the type of drilling Determine the blast geometry parameters Charge the holes with type of explosives selected, including decking & stemming Development of Initiation sequence system

Design of Blast An Approach

Keep

knowledge on uncontrollable factors which affects the blasting Concentrate on controllable factors during the designing process

Controllable factors of Blast Design

Bench Height and Blast hole Diameter Blast hole Inclination Burden Burden Stiffness Ratio (BSR) Spacing Stemming Energy Distribution Sub grade drilling

Controllable factors of Blast Design

Blast hole length and Charge length Volume Calculations Charging Calculations Powder Factor / Energy Factor Block Size Decking Initiation sequence/Timing effects Initiation Pattern

Un-Controllable factors of Blast Design

Geology Material

Strength Material Properties Structural discontinuities Weather conditions Water Environmental conditions

Bench Height and Blast hole Diameter

Nature of deposit and Type of loading equipment dictates the Bench height Effect of diameter on fragmentation and drilling economics Bench height,Environmental constraints, Rock structure and Cost of Production decides the hole diameter
= = 10 H 16.66 H + 50

d min d max

d min = minimum hole diameter (mm) d max = maximum hole diameter (mm)

Blast hole Inclination

Less back break Elimination of Toe problems Better displacement Increased fragmentation Stable face Blast hole inclination of 150- 250 is recommended for blasting in surface mines Bench height can be increased which reduces the number of haulage levels Disadvantages: Harder to collar holes Difficult to maintain accurate angle More problems with geologic discontinuities Easier to hang steel in holes Difficult to charge (cartridge) explosives Availability of drill machines with angle attachments is poor (Often impossible with drilling machine being used)

Burden

1.

Distance from a charge axis to the nearest free face

Konya (1983)

Burden, B (in ft) = [(2 SG e / SG r + 1.5)] D e Burden, B (in ft) = 0.67 [De] [RBe / SG r ] 0.33 Where, De = Diameter of explosive to be used (inches) SG e = Specific gravity of explosive (g/cc) SG r = Specific gravity of rock (g/cc)

Burden
2.Vutukuri and Bhandari (1973) B = 0.024D + 0.85
Where B is in meters and D is the hole diameter in mm. 3. T.N.Hagan

B,(m) 4.Rule

= 20d 35d of Thumb: B = [{(explosive density/ rock density) 2 + 1.8} d e ] / 84 Where B is in meters and d e is the Explosive diameter in mm. Explosive density, rock density is in g/cc.

Burden Stiffness Ratio (BSR)

BSR = Bench height / Burden If BSR < 2, Poor Fragmentation If BSR 2 3.5, Good Fragmentation If BSR > 3.5, Excellent Breakage BSR decides the need of Sub-grade drilling, Spacing distance, Type of Explosive,etc.

Spacing
Distance between adjacent blast holes measured perpendicular to the burden 1. Konya (1983) Spacing, S = 1.15 1.4 B 2.T.N.Hagan Spacing, S = B, for adequate results. Spacing, S = 1.15 B, for hard, massive rocks 3.Vutukuri and Bhandari (1973) S = 0.9B + 0.91 Where, Spacing(S) and Burden (B) are in meters.

Mode of Initiation Instantaneous Delay

L/B < 4 S = (L+2B)/3 S = (L+2B)/8

L/B > 4 S = 2B S = 1.4 B

L = Hole depth B = Burden S = Spacing

Stemming
To confine the gases produced by the explosive until they have adequate time to fracture and move the ground 1.Rule of Thumb: Stemming, S = 0.7 B, for dry holes S B, for wet and heavily fractured holes 2.T.N.Hagan Stemming, S = 20D 60D Where, Burden, Stemming is in meters and D is the Diameter of blast hole in mm. Crushed angular stone of about 1/20 times the diameter can be used for effective stemming

Energy Distribution
Energy Distribution, (%) = [(Bench height Stemming length) / Bench height] X 100 Where,Stemming length,Bench height-values are in meters. It should not be less than 80% in hard formations

Sub-grade drilling
Drilling below the floor level 1.Konya Sub drilling, U = 0.3 B Where, Sub drilling and Burden (B) - values are given in meters. 2.T.N.Hagan Sub drilling, U = 8 D, for satisfactory results U=10 12 D, in the front rows/ toe formations -Diameter of the blast hole (D) is in mm. 3. Rule of Thumb Sub drilling, U = 10% of the Bench Height

Blast hole length Blast hole length (m) = BH + Sub drilling, for vertical holes Blast hole length (m) = BH + Sub drilling / cos (angle), for angle holes Charge length Charge length, L (m)= Blast hole length Stemming Length

Volume Calculations
1. Bank cubic meters/ Hole,(m 3 /hole) =

Burden (m) X Spacing (m) X Bench height (m)

2. Bank cubic meters/ Hole, (tonnes/hole) = Burden (m) X Spacing (m) X Bench height(m) X Rock Density (g/cc)

Charging Calculations
1. Loading Density(Kg of explosive / m of

bore hole) = 0.000785 X explosive density X (explosive diameter) 2 2. Explosive Energy (kcal. /kg of explosive) = Same as Actual Weight Strength (kcal/gm) 3. Loading Energy (Cal of energy / meter of bore hole) = explosive energy X loading density

Powder Factor

Relationship between how much rock is broken and how much explosives are used to break it Specific charge, charge factor, specific explosive consumption are used in place of powder factor, in the field ISRM commission on blasting has suggested to use either powder factor or specific charge Expressed in kg/m 3 or kg/t

Powder Factor-Approaches
Based on Seismic wave velocity (Broadbent,1974) 2. Based on Drilling data (Leighton, 1982; Muftuoglu,1991) 3. Based on energy balance concept (Berta,1990) 4. Based on rock properties (Muftuoglu,1991) 5. Based on rock mass properties (Kutuzov and Varenichev,1977) 6. Based on Empirical procedure (Adhikari, 1990)
1.

Powder Factor-Rule of Thumb

Powder factor(kg/cu.m) = (Loading density X Explosive column length) / (BCM/hole) Where, BCM - Bank cubic meters/ Hole Loading Density-Kg of explosive / m of hole Explosive column length - meters .

Energy Factor
Amount

of explosive energy required to fragment and displace rock Better indicator than the powder factor. Energy factor (KJ/cu.m) = (loading energy X Explosive column length) / (BCM/hole)

SELECTION OF EXPLOSIVES AND ACCESSORIES

Type of Explosives Rock mass properties, hardness, density, moisture and geological features Quantity of Explosives Dynamic tensile strength of the rock mass and the fragmentation to be achieved Type of Initiation system Timing accuracy and fragmentation, Ground vibration control

Decking
To give confinement of gases near soft seam/void is encountered To assure a better energy distribution To control ground vibration Min.decking length to separate charges (m) = 10 X Charge diameter (mm), for dry holes Min.decking length to separate charges (m) = 20 X Charge diameter (mm), for wet holes primer/booster should be placed for each individual charge

Block Size
Depends on the number of joints present and joint spacing, RQD 1. J V = (1/ S i ) 2. J V = 33 (RQD/3.3)

Where, J V is the number of joints/cu.m of rock mass ; S i is the i th joint spacing If J V -value < 3, the block can be large size If J V -value is 3 -10, the block can be medium size

Initiation sequence

Delay timings are governed by the desired end results based on their priority Delay timing of 10 ms/m of the burden for hard rock to 30 ms/m of burden for soft rock Delay timing of burden for strong 10 ms/m for weak 5 ms/m of effective massive rocks to about / highly fractured strata

Optimum delay is 3-6 ms/m of effective burden .

Initiation Pattern

Need to tailor muck pile shape to a particular loading machine or operating environment such as rampconstruction,etc V pattern, VI pattern, Diagonal pattern, Row-by-row initiation, Sink cut, Slice cut, etc. Critical design elements - burden relief and timing vary according to rock mass properties and the required muck pile shape.

SECONDARY BLASTING

To break oversize boulders, produced during the primary blasting in u/g or surface. To produce a size suitable for crushing plant or hauling system If crusher width is b m, shovel dipper size is cd m3 then, the boulder size a should be a=0.8b m and a=0.8 3 cd m Secondary blasting techniques

Pop shooting or blockholing Plaster shooting or mud capping Shaped charge shooting Snake holing

Secondary Blasting Techniques

POP SHOOTING PLASTER SHOOTING

SHAPED CHARGE SHOOTING

SNAKE HOLING

EVALUATION OF DRILLING AND BLASTING - CONSIDERATIONS

Clear separation along planned bench slope. Breakage along designated smooth bench floor. Floor clean-up cost-dozer time. Fragmentation- digging rates/hour averaged over a month. Haulage rates/hour averaged over a month. Secondary blasting cost (boulder, toe). Average crusher output rate. Disruption to mine operation. Ground vibration and air over pressure within limit. Number and duration of crusher hold-up time due to boulder jamming Maintenance costs especially ground engaging tools, dipper life, crusher concave life, etc. Dilution.