Drilling

Arne Lislerud

Agendafordrillingoperations
well planned operations and correctly selected rigs yield low cost drilling
technically good drilling (good drill settings) and correctly selected drill steel
yields low cost drilling
straight hole drilling yields safe and low cost D&B operations

Down-the-Hole
Top Hammer

(pneumatic)

(hydraulic or
pneumatic)

- 120,000
- 100,000

50,000 -

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

40,000 -

Rotary
(roller bits)

30,000 -

20,000 -

Rotary

10,000 -

(drag bits)
I
1
25

I
2
51

I
3
76

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 "
102 127 152 178 203 229 254 279 305 330 356 381 mm

Rotary pulldown (lbs)

Uniaxial compressive strength, UCS (psi)

Themostcommondrillingmethodsinuse

Drillingconsistsofaworkingsystemof:

bit
drill string
boom or mast mounted feed
TH or DTH - hammer
Rotary - thrust
drill string rotation and
stabilising systems
powerpack
automation package
drilling control system(s)
collaring position and
feed alignment systems
flushing (air, water or foam)
dedusting equipment
sampling device(s)

Howrockbreaksbyindentation
Fbutton

Fbutton

Energy used
for rock
breakage
k1
1

ubutton

ubit ubutton

Vcuttings

Volume of
cuttings

ubit
Abutton footprint

Energy lost as
elastisc rock
deformation

Chipping asthebuttonisoffloaded
Chipping around the
button footprint area
Off-loading fractures
at ( 2 ) which create
cuttings by chip
spalling
Fbit

(1)

On-loading fractures
created at ( 1 )
k1
1
5 mm

(2)

ubutton

Chipformationbybitindentationand
buttonindexing

Direction of
bit rotation
Spray paint applied
between bit impacts
Button footprint
76mm/3
Chipping around
button footprint

Selectingdrillingtools
bit face and skirt design
button shape, size and carbide grade
shanks, rods, tubes,
grinding equipment and its location

Guidelinesforselectingcementedcarbide
grades
avoid excessive button wear (rapid wearflat development)
=> select a more wear resistant carbide grade or drop RPM
avoid button failures (due to snakeskin development or too aggressive button shapes)
=> select a less wear resistant or tougher carbide grade or spherical buttons
=> use shorter regrind intervals

48

DP65

PCD ?

Selectingbuttonshapesandcemented
carbidegrades
Spherical buttons
DP65
S65

Robust ballistic buttons

48
R48

Optimumbit/roddiameter
relationshipforTH

Thread
R32
T35
T38
T45
T51
GT60
GT60

Diameter
coupling
44mm
48
55
63
71
82
85

Diameter
32mm
39
39
46
52
60
60/64

Optimum
bit size
51-2
57-2
64-2
76-3
89-3
92-3.62
102-4

Optimumbit/guideorpilot(lead)tube
relationshipforTH

Thread

T38
T45
T51
GT60
GT60

Diameter
coupling
55mm
63
71
85
85

Diameter
56mm
65
76
87
102

Optimum
bit size
64-2
76-3
89-3
102-4
115-4

Trendlinesforbitservicelife
60,000

Rotary Drilling - 12 / Std.

30,000

DTH *

18,000

Tophammer *

12,000

Bit Service Life (dr-ft/bit)

6,000

Bit service life highly dependent

on regrind intervals regard
curve as toplimit

3,000

Limestone

1,800
1,200

Dolomite
600

Granite
300
1

Sievers J Value, SJ

10

20

40

60

100

200

Quartzite

RelationshipbetweenSJandVHNR
1000
900
800
700
600

rock surface hardness, VHNR

500
400

rock surface hardness, SJ

Rock with "zero"

grain bonding

300

200

8.5mm

110g
100
90
80
70
60

20 kg

Weathered rock

50
40
30

20

chuck
guide

10
9
8
7
6

tungsten
carbide bit

guide

Non-weathered
rock

200 revs

Sievers J Value, SJ

1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
100

200

300

400 500

700

1000

1500

Vickers Hardness Number Rock, VHNR

Bitregindintervals,bitservicelife
andoverdrilling
6,600

3,300
1,970

Ov
er
-d
ri l

led

1,320

Premature
button
failures

Bit regrind intervals (dr-ft)

660

330
200
130

d/3

d/3

65

33
26
20
13

7
65

130 200 330

660

1,320

Bit service life (dr-ft)

3,300 6,600 13,200

33,000

ExampleofdrillsteelfollowupforMFT51
66,000
52,800
33,000

Rod and shank service life (dr-ft)

Short holes
19,800

Long holes

13,200

6,600

3,300
1,980
1,320

Shanks
660

MF-T51 rods

330
165

330

660

1,320 1,980 3,300

Bit service life (dr-ft)

6,600

13,200

33,000

KPIsfordrillsteelfollowupwork
drilling capacity drm/ph
drill-hole straightness
avg. percussion pressure
geological conditions
drill steel component life
bit regrind intervals
bit replacement diameter
component discard analysis
cost per drm or m3

Flushingofdrillcuttings
Insufficient air < 50 ft/s

Too much air > 100 m/s

Correction factors

low bit penetration rates

excessive drill steel wear

high density rock

poor percussion dynamics

interupt drilling to clean holes
plugged bit flushing holes
stuck drill steel
circulating big chip wear

erosion of hole collaring point

extra dust emissions
increased fuel consumption

badly fractured rock

(air lost in fractures
- use water or foam to
mud up hole walls)
high altitude
(low density air)
large chips

Flift

Flift

Predictingbitpenetrationrates TH
goodness of hole-bottom chipping

rock mass drillability, DRI

percussion power level in rod(s)
bit diameter

bit face design and insert types

drilling parameter settings (RPM, feed)

Bit penetration rate (ft/min)

hole wall confinement of gauge buttons flushing medium and return flow velocity
HL510/HLX5T
HL600
HL710/800T
HL1500/1560T

5.9
5.2
4.6

51 mm
64 mm
76 mm
102 mm

HL510/HLX5T
HL600
HL710/800T
HL1000
HL1500/1560T

3.9
3.3
2.6
2.0
1.3
20

30

40

50

60

70

Rock drillability, DRI

HL510/HLX5T
HL600
HL710/800T
HL1000
HL1500/1560T

2
2.5
3
4

64 mm
76 mm
89 mm
89 mm
115 mm
76 mm
89 mm
102 mm
115 mm
127 mm

2.5
3
3.5
3.5
4.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5

Predictingbitpenetrationrates DTH
goodness of hole-bottom chipping

rock mass drillability, DRI

percussion power of hammer
bit diameter

bit face design and insert types

drilling parameter settings (RPM, feed)

Bit penetration rate (ft/min)

hole wall confinement of gauge buttons

flushing and return flow velocity

5.2
M50 / M55
M60 / M65

4.6

140 mm
165 mm

5.5
6.5

3.9
3.3

M30
M40
M60 / M65

2.6

89 mm
115 mm
203 mm

3.5
4.5
8

2.0
1.3

M85

0.7
20

30

40

50

60

70

Rock drillability, DRI

251 mm

9 7/8

Grossdrillingcapacities(drft/h)
rig setup and feed alignment time per drill-hole

Poor net drilling capacities for:

very broken rock
terrain benches - winching
very low or very high benches
very poor collaring conditions

collaring time through overburden or sub-drill zone

drill-hole wall stabilisation time (if required)
rod handling times (unit time and rod count)
rods and couplings
MF rods
tubes

6.1 % per rod

3.6 % per rod
2.6 % per tube

effect of percussion power levels on:

bit penetration rates
drill steel service life
drill-hole straightness

rig tramming times between benches, refueling, etc.

effect of operator work environment on effective
work hours per shift
rig availability, service availability, service and
maintenance intervals

Gross drilling capacity (dr-ft / hour)

bit penetration rate loss percentage i.e.

230
195
165
130
100
65
32.5

2.0

2.6

3.3

3.9

4.6

5.2

5.9

Bit penetration rate, BPR2 (ft/min)

Typicalbreakdownoflongtermrigusage
andcapacities
Shift time, 100 %
shift hours
Mechanical availability, 80 - 90 %

Daily service
Scheduled
maintenance
Breakdowns

Machine utilisation, 60 - 80 %
engine hours
Shift change
Lunch
Blast downtime
Set out pattern
Set out TIM

Tramming
Refueling
New set rods

Net drilling time, 40 60 %

net drilling hours
Bit penetration time
Rod handling
Hole stabilisation
Reposition rig and feed
Bit change

percussion hours
(30 - 60 % of engine hours)

Mechanicsofpercussivedrilling
PERCUSSION

Percussive drilling
FEED

Down-the-hole, DTH
Stress waves transmitted directly through bit into rock

ROTATION

Tophammer
Stress wave energy transmitted through shank, rods,
bit, and then into rock
FLUSHING

Basic functions
percussion
feed

- reciprocating piston used to produce

stress waves to power rock indentation
- provide bit-rock contact at impact

rotation

- provide bit impact indexing

flushing

- cuttings removal from hole bottom

CUTTINGS

foam flushing - drill-hole wall stabilisation

PercussiveimpactcycleinTHdrilling
Piston accelerates forwards and strikes shank

Incident stress wave travels down drill string to bit.

Rod compression ui
Incident stress wave powers bit indentation ubit
and reflections travel back to shank-end

Re-reflected stress waves travel to bit again etc.

Piston accelerates backwards - starting a new cycle
Rock drill now moved forwards by ubit and drill
string ready for next piston strike

Ui

Ubit

EnergytransferefficiencyinTHdrilling
Lpiston

2 Lpiston

Feed
/(1- )

Fbit

k1
1
k1 = indentation resistance of bit (kN/mm)

ubutton

Energytransferchain
videoclipcases
cavity
perfect bit / rock match
bit / rock gap i.e. underfeed
bit face bottoming caused by:
drilling with too high impact energy
drilling with worn bits i.e. buttons with too low protrusion

Feedforcerequirements
From a drilling point of view

From a mechanical point of view

- to provide bit-rock contact

- compensate piston motion

- to provide rotation resistance

so as to keep threads tight

- compensate linear momentum

of stress waves in rods

300

250

200

Rod force
Feed force
MPa | mm

150

100

50

Stress waves in rod (MPa)

-50

Piston movement (mm)

-100

-150
14.99

15

15.01

15.02

15.03

15.04

time [s]

15.05

15.06

15.07

15.08

Energytransmissionefficienciesare
dividedinto:
energy transmission through the drill string
- optimum when the cross section throughout
the drill string is constant
- length of stress wave
- weight of bit
energy transmission to rock
- bit indentation resistance k1
- bit-rock contact

Compressive wave

Tensile wave

The most critical issue in controlling stress waves is to avoid high tensile reflection waves.
Tensile stresses are transmitted through couplings by the thread surfaces - not through
the bottom or shoulder contact as in the case for compressive waves.
High surface stresses combined with micro-sliding result in high coupling temperatures
and heavy wear of threads.

Matchingdrillsettingstositeconditions
Same bit in 2 different
rock types or quarries

BPR ratio

single pass

Fbit

Feed ratio
( pfeed / pperc. )

1
k1-soft k1-good rock

k1-soft k1-good
Rock hardness
Button count and size
( and bit size )

rock

Chipping during bit indentation

k1-soft
ubutton

Drillinginvariablerockmass
BPR ratio

single pass

Feed ratio
( pfeed / pperc. )

k1-void 0

Total overfeed

k1-good rock

OK

k1-joint < k1-good rock

Overfeed

k1-good rock

OK

(feed speed control)

(ratio set here)

k1-hard layer > k1-

k1-soft k1-good rock

k1-hard layer

k1-good rock

k1-joint

Situation =>

k1-void

Underfeed

good rock

Actual feed
conditions

2nd coupling temperature, F

RangerDX700and800/PanteraDP1500
Drilling with
disabled stabilizer

285

UF

250

R7002 / Poclain / 76 mm / MF-T45 / Otava

R700 / 76 mm / MF-T45 / Toijala
R700 / 70-89 mm / MF-T45 / Croatia

210

R8002 / HL800T / 76 mm / MF-T45 / Savonlinna

P1500 / 152 mm / MF-GT65 / Myllypuro

180

P1500 / 127 mm / MF-GT60 / Baxter-Calif.

140
HL700 +
OMR50 HL700 +
Poclain
100
MS 05
70
0.85

1.0

1.2

vgauge = d RPM / ( 601000 )

HL800T +
Calzone
MR450

Baseline for
stabilizer drills = ?

1.4

1.5

1.7

1.9

2.1

vgauge (ft/s)

66
56

79
67

92
79

105
90

118
101

132
112

145
125

158
135

RPM for 76mm 3

RPM for 89mm 3

49

59

69

78

88

98

108

118

RPM for 102mm 4

39
33

47
39

55
46

63
53

71
59

79
66

87
72

95
79

RPM for 127mm 5

RPM for 152mm 6

Summaryofdrillsettings TH
higher percussion pressure

=> penetration rates increase proportionally with percussion power

=> more drill steel breakage if
=> deviation increases with percussion energy

feed ratio ( Pfeed / Ppercussion )

=> ratio controls average feed levels
=> UF reduces drill steel life (heats up threads)
=> OF increases deviation (especially bending)
higher rotation pressure

=> tightens threads (open threads reduce drill steel life)

=> increases with OF
=> increases with drill string bending

higher bit RPM

=>
=>
=>
=>

bits

=> select bits with regard to penetration rates, hole straightness,

stabile drilling (percussion dynamics), price,
=> bit condition / regrind intervals / damage to rock drill

increases gauge button wear (especially in abrasive rocks)

increases indexing of button footprints on drill hole bottom
straighter holes
higher thread temperatures

Howdowegoaboutdrilling
straighterholes?
understand the many issues leading to drill-hole deviation
technically good drill string
technically good drill rig, instrumentation,
motivate the drillers!

Canwedrillstraightholes?
Ventilation Shaft, Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant
Shaft diameter, Section I

21.3

Shaft length

49.2

Rock type

Quartz Diorite

Contour hole size

60mm 2.36

Contour hole charging

80 g/m cord

Contour hole spacing

1.3

Contour row burden

2.3

Whathappenswhenweshootholesthat
looklikespaghetti?
floor humps

=> poor loading conditions, uneven floors

poor walls
flyrock

=> unstabile walls

=> difficult 1st row drilling
=> safety

blowout of stemming

=> safety, dust, toes,

blast direction

=> quality of floors and walls

shothole deflagration / misfires

=> safety
=> locally choked muckpiles (poor diggability)
=> max. drill-hole deviation up to 2 3%
for production drilling

good practice

Accuratedrillinggiveseffectiveblasting
Sources of drilling error
1. Collar position
2. Hole inclination and direction
3. Deflection
4. Hole depth
5. Omitted or lost holes
6. Shothole diameter (worn out bits)
1

Shotholediametererrorcontrol
bits loose diameter due to gauge button wear
typical diameter loss for worn out bits is ~ 10%

750

diameter loss effect on drill patterns

540

320

102mm 4

270

Diameter worn out

89mm 3

215

Diameter loss

( 4 3 ) / 4 = 12.8%

160

Drill pattern too big

( 4 / 3 )1.6 = 24%

Drill pattern, SB (ft2)

=>

Diameter new bit

Better
blastability

110

Finer
Finer
fragmentation
fragmentation

75

55

2.8

5.9

7.9

Drill-hole diameter, d ( " )

11.8

15.8

Collarpositionerrorcontrol
use tape, optical squares or alignment
lasers for measuring in collar positions
use GPS or total stations to measure in
collar positions
collar positions should be marked using
painted lines not movable objects such
as rocks etc.
completed drillholes should be protected
by shothole plugs etc. to prevent holes
from caving in (and filling up)
use GPS guided collar positioning devices
e.g. TIM-3D

Difficult 1st row

drilling

Examplesofdrillholedeviation
Directional error for 3
retrac bit / T45 in granite

Drill string deflection caused

by gravitasional pull or
sagging of drill steel in
inclined holes in syenite

Examplesofdrillholedeviation

Deflection with and without

pilot tube for 3 DC retrac
bit / T51 in mica schist
Floor hump due to
explosives malfunction
caused by drill string
deflection

LafargeBathOperations,Ontario
Annual production

1.6 mill. tons

Rock type

Limestone
Bench height
Bit
Drill steel

105
115mm - 4 guide XDC
Sandvik 60 + pilot tube

Hole-bottom deflection
Gross drilling capacity

< 1.5 %
220 dr-ft/h

Drill pattern
Sub-drill
Stemming

14 x 15 (staggered)
0 (blast to fault line)
9

No. of decks
Stem between decks
Deck delays

3
5.9
25 milliseconds

Charge per shothole

Explosives
Powder factor

520 lbs
ANFO (0.95 & 0.85 g/cm3)
0.34 kg/bm3

Holedeptherrorcontrol

Remaining drill length

(at 1st laser level reading)

Total drill hole length

= c-a

laser level
= c-a+b
a

bench top level

inclination

Set-point values
for TIM 2305

c-a

laser height

quarry floor level

sub-drill level

Inclinationanddirectionalerrorcontrol

blast direction

bench top level

inclination

Set-point values for TIM 2305

inclination
blast direction projection
distant aiming point direction
(new aiming point reading
required when tracks are moved)

quarry floor level

sub-drill level

Howbitfacedesignsenhance
drillholestraightness
Feed

When the bit first starts to

penetrate through the joint surface
on the hole bottom - the gauge
buttons tend to skid off this
surface and thus deflect the bit.
More aggressively shaped gauge
inserts (ballistic / chisel inserts)
and bit face gauge profiles (drop
center) reduce this skidding effect
by enabling the gauge buttons to
cut through the joint surface
quickly - thus resulting in less
overall bit deflection.

Howbitskirtdesignsenhance
drillholestraightness
Feed

As the bit cuts through the joint surface

- an uneven bit face loading condition
arises; resulting in bit and drill string
axial rotation - which is proportional to
bit impact force imbalance.
A rear bit skirt support (retrac type bits)
reduces bit and string axial rotation by
centralizing the bit.
Other counter measures:
- longer bit body
- add pilot tube behind bit
- lower impact energy
- rapid drilling control system reacting
to varying torque and feed conditions

Drillholedeflectionerrorcontrol
select bits less influenced by rock mass discontinuities
reduce drill string deflection by using guide tubes, etc.
reduce drill string bending by using less feed force
reduce feed foot slippage while drilling - since this will
cause a misalignment of the feed and lead to excessive
drill string bending
avoid gravitational effects which lead to drill string
sagging when drilling inclined shot-holes ( > 15 )
avoid inpit operations with excessive bench heights

Feed foot
slippage
occurs at
this point

Hole
deflection, L

L = ( L3 ) for 0

L = ( L2 ) for = 0

Hole length, L

Prior
subdrill
zone

Drillholedeflectiontrendlines
inschistoserock
Fissures along
schistosity or
bedding planes
1
15 5 - 20
20

Stabile drilling
direction perpendicular
to fissures along
schistosity or bedding
planes

Relatively
stabile
drilling
direction
parallel to
fissures
along
schistosity

Selectingstraightholedrillingtools TH
optimum bit / rod diameter relationship
insert types / bit face and skirt
spherical / ballistic / chisel inserts
normal bits
retrac bits
drop center bits
guide bits

additional drill string components

guide tubes / pilot (lead) tubes

Drillpatternatquarryfloor
Bench height

108 ft

Hole inclination

14

Drill steel

3 retrac bit / T45

Drill pattern

8.2 x 9

Rock type

Granitic gneiss

Clustered shothole areas / Risk of dead pressing

Vacant shothole areas / Risk of toe problems
Small burden areas / Risk of flyrock

Bench toe

12

20

6
78

10

16

3
39

Bench crest

11

37
2

36
3

31
5

37

36

14

21
23 22
24

27

29

10

19

15
25

30

7
39 38

12

32

33

18

13

34

35

17

20

26
28
12

11

13

14

17

16

15

19

18

35
34

21
33

Drill-hole collar positions

Drill-hole positions at quarry floor

32

31

30

29

28

27

26

25

24

23

22

VerticalprojectionofRow#1
3

2.21

2.88

2.72

2.84

3.18

2.90

9
2.78

10
2.75

11
3.03

12
2.78

2.75

2.77

2.85

17

16

15

14

13

2.90

2.72

2.75

18

19
2.79

20
2.75

2.77

104

91

78

65

52

39

26

1.1

1.1

3.41

6.08 m

4.14

13

1.67

2.72

3.74

2.68

3.54

2.42

2.99

3.74

2.20

5.97

1.75

3.49

19.9

- 10

Predictionofdeviationerrors
Drill-hole Deviation Prediction
predH=33.xls/A. Lislerud

direction of deviation can not be predicted

magnitude of deviation can be predicted
Rock mass factor, krock

massive rock mass

moderately fractured
fractured
mixed strata conditions

0.33
1.0
2.0
3.0

Bit design and button factor, kbit

normal bits & sph. buttons

normal bits & ball. buttons
normal X-bits
retrac bits & sph. buttons
retrac bits & ball. buttons
retrac X-bits
guide bits

1.0
0.70
0.70
0.88
0.62
0.62
0.38

Location
Rock type
Bit type

Bench H = 33m
Granitic gneiss
Retrac bit

Bit diameter (mm)

Rod diameter (mm)
Guide tube diameter (mm)

dbit
dstring
dguide / No

76
45
No

Total deflection factor

kdef
krock
kstiffness
kw obbling
kguide
kbit
krod

1,34
1,30
0,138
0,592
1,000
0,88
0,096

rock mass
drill-string stiffness
bit wobbling
guide tubes for rods
bit design and button factor
constant

Inclination and direction error factor k I + D

47,8

Drill-hole deviation prediction

Drill-hole Drill-hole Drill-hole
Length Inc + Dir Deflection
L
Ldef
L I + D
(m)
(mm)
(mm)
9,3
444
116
13,4
640
241
17,6
840
415
21,7
1036
631
34,1
1628
1559

Drill-hole
Deviation
Ltotal
(mm)
459
684
937
1213
2254

Drill-hole
Deviation
Ltotal / L
(%)
4,9
5,1
5,3
5,6
6,6

Factorsaffectingdrillholedeviation
drill string startup alignment
bit will follow a joint if at sharp angle to bit path
drill string stiffness and tube steering behind bit
deviation increases with impact energy
button shape, bit face and bit body design
drilling with dull buttons (worn bits)
bit diameter checks when regrinding
feed foot slippage while drilling
removal or controlled drilling through prior sub-drill zone
drilling control systems, i.e.
- applied feed, torque and percussion dynamics
operator motivation!

MinaAlumbrera
Doublebenchpresplitting

MinaAlumbrera
Pitwallscanlines

Wallcontroldrilling
MaconQuarry,GA
Excessive deviation due
to feed foot slippage

Hole deviation from collar

location, L (ft)

3,0
2,5
Presplit

2,0

Production
1,5
1,0
0,5
0,0
1

DP1500 - 87/3 Tubes - 80

Bench - 140/5 Presplit

11

13

15

Sorted hole "number"

17

19

21

Wallcontroldrilling
MaconQuarry,GA
Max error
Median error

1.48 ft
0.49 ft

1.8
0.6

x = y
1.05 ft ( 2d )
0.36 ft ( d )

0.75
0.25

12.0
4.2

L = ( x2 + y2 )1/2
y = error perpendicular to wall is of greater
importance to extent of blast damage
in backwalls
= atan y / S

y
x

x = error parallel to wall - lesser importance

= atan x / H

Thank You

Workshop ?

Optimisationofquarrying=>overviewof
operations,technologyandmarkets
Mgt.

Organisation

Technology

Plant

Pit

Sales

end-product volumes
Market
analysis

costs
prices
stockpiling
=> right mix of parameters?

KeyPerformanceIndicators,KPIs
key financial performance in period
overall quarry profitability
capital employed
(especially unscheduled stockpiling)
key production performance in period
end-product tonnages, costs and margins
productivity and cost per machine
safety in operations
public relations

Occupationalhealthandsafety
work related accidents for:
mobile equipment
hazardeous work areas
emissions control
noise control
dust control
fly rock / charging / straight-hole drilling
falling rocks / wall control
safety is linked as much to equipment
as it is to attitudes
health, safety and environmental
issues are everyones concern
the ultimate safety target is zero harm not
just a mimimum occurrence of accidents

Assessmentofsomeworkrelated
healthrisks
Risk

Musculoskeletal
disorders
Stress/mental
workload

Silicosis

Diesel
Oil mist
1950

1960

Radon
1970

1980

Vibrations
1990

2000

Noise
2010

Safetyofinpitoperations
unwanted incidences do not just happen they have root causes
actions can be taken so as to reduce frequency and consequences
of unwanted occurrences
the relationship between complexity and knowledgein the workforce
is often unbalanced - e.g. operator hazard training is a must!

Premature ignition of
electric detonators and
blast due to lightning

Pit wall failure

burying 3 drill
rigs in rubble

Safetyofinpitoperations
new equipment requirements for the future?

Rock fall source area

Manditory 65
personnel
exclusion zone
from highwall ?

Rollover from terrain

bench - 35m drop

Howdrillingandblastingaffectdown
streamoperations
Drilling
sizing drill patterns
drilling accuracy

Blasting

Loading

field performance
loadability and
of explosives
loading capacities
shotrock fragmentation selectivity in
mining & industrial
boulders
mineral operations
floor humps
fines and fragment
microfractures
muckpile profiles & swell

Crushing
boulder downtime
crushing capacities
power consumption
production of fines
and waste

Qualityfeed handlingboulders
boulder count dependent on primary crusher opening
(and to a lesser extent primary crusher capacity)
sort boulders from muck pile
down-size boulders before entering primary crusher
minimize boulder count using reduced uncharged height
and/or tighter drill patterns

Qualityfeed effectofmicrofracturing
Anorthosite

Explosive

Slurrit 50-10

Test blasts

4 x 50,000 tons

Bench height

36

Percentage of 0 1

Rock type

Feed

40

0 37

0 11
4

35
3

Belt
weights

0 2

30

25

20
70

Large SUB
from prior
bench level

80

90

100

110

0 1

120

Hole diameter, d (mm)

1 2

Criteriaforselectingdrills
annual production requirements in bm3 or t

=> number of drills

critical diameter of explosive

=> hole size big enough?

flexibility in usage

=> different types of work?

application costing

=> D&B costs per t

level of automation

100

operator training and support

70

operator comfort and safety

50
Better
Better
blastability
blastability

ease of transport between pits

30
25

D&B costs ($/t)

Drill pattern, SB (m2)

20

Drill-hole diameter, d

12

15
10
Finer
Finer
fragmentation
fragmentation

7
5

50

70

100

150 200

300 400

Drill-hole diameter, d (mm)

WallcontrolD&B
ChadormaluIronMine
Case Study #10 Presplitting
Chadormalu Iron Mine
PS

B1

5,5m

B2

3m

B3

4,5m

B4

PS

B1

B2

B3

B4

B5

Case Study #10 Presplitting

4,5m

2m

Chadormalu Iron Mine before/after wall control blasting

5m
5,2m

3m
4,1m

5,5m

3m

4,5m

4,5m

15m

75 o
1,5m
8,5m

1,45m

PS

B1

B2

... P

165

165

165

251

Drill Pattern
B x S, m2

5.5 x 1.45

3 x 5.2

4.5 x 5.2

Charge, kg

18
36mm PVC
AZAR (ANFO + TNT)

60
ANFO

200
ANFO

Diameter, mm

Sandvik Mining and Construction

Sandvik Mining and Construction

Thank You

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