Basic Blasting Patterns

Dr. B. C. Paul 2000

Note The concepts contained in these slides represent the authors view of
information commonly held among those well studied in the field. Some of the
figures contained in these slides were taken from or prepared with inspiration from the
Blasters Handbook published by DuPont.
Blasting Nomenclature
Free Face - open area at the rock air interface -
essential that broken rock has a place to go to avoid
energy turning to bad vibrations
Row - a line up of holes running parallel to the Free
Face
Spacing - the distance between holes in a row
Burden - the distance from a row of holes to the
free face - the rock that must be broken up and
moved by the explosive
Drilling Patterns

Square Pattern - ease of drilling - easily explained to labor - not a

lot of judgement to lay out - just one number to remember
Spacing > Burden improves fragmentation - but not available here
 Rectangular Pattern

Provides for spacing > Burden - Improves fragmentation if you can

get your drillers to put one down
Staggered Pattern

Provides Spacing > Burden by a considerable amount

Problem of leaving stumps on quarry floor - next row takes them

out

And Your People Can Drill it Too!

Firing Patterns
All shots need a free face for rock to move to
With several rows must wait for material in front
to move to create a free face
Lack of a free face turns throw energy in
vibration
causes cracking behind holes - called back break
- can make future faces hard to support
25 to 40 ms would be common
Plough Cut
Properties of the Plough Cut
Gives long linear muck pile along the face
Open Free Face Helps to Avoid Confinement
Problems
Movement Perpendicular to Face Can Maximize
forward throw which may be problematic for narrow
benches
Needs a Rectangular drill pattern to get spacing >
burden
Also used with staggered drill pattern
Peculiar Edge Delays on Plough
Cut
Plough Cut Often Fires the Entire Row at
One Time
Note That Edge Holes Seem to Fire Later
Explosive Action Must Tear the Rock Away
of 3 sides - more open space eases the
burden to be pushed
By delaying edge holes provides 2 free faces to
throw to
Considerations in Firing
Starts at One End of Shot and Spreads Across
Can See Hole Initiate on Surface Before Break-up
begins at face
Primer is generally placed in toe - Note That heave
begins at bottom
Top Will Swell
Usually causes top to slump down
In Quarry the timing will be set to heave clear of face
Rock Pile may have larger pieces from stemming zone
Plough Cut In the Field
The V Cut
Properties of the V Cut
Firing Pattern Rips out a V Shape Wedge
Firing Pattern Alters the Position of the Free
Face for Later Firing Holes
Provides a 2:1 Spacing to Burden Ratio with a
Square Pattern
Tends to Throw Material into Centrally
Collected Muck Pile
Can be good for limited bench room
More About V Cuts

Central Collection Tends to Create More

Potential Confinement
Real Caps dont get the Delay Times
Perfect - called cap scatter
If hole at apex of V doesnt fire - confinement
for next row back will be severe
Modifications of the V Cut

Flatten the apex of the V - fire two maybe

three holes in a row at top of the V
Spread the pile out a bit more
More forgiving of a cap misfire
Can see at some point Plough and V cuts may
melt into each other
Fire Only One Side of the V at two free
faces - Called Row Echelon Form
Row Echelon Firing Sequence
Row Echelon in the Field