Module 11: Rock Blasting
Module 11: Rock Blasting
Module 11: Rock Blasting
ROCK BLASTING
CONTENT
11.1 Introduction
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Module 11: Rock Blasting
LECTURE 36
11.1 INTRODUCTION
Rock blasting is done to break rocks so that it may be quarried or to excavate ground
for construction purposes. It is the controlled use of explosives mostly in mining, quarrying
and civil engineering such as tunnel, dam or road construction. Blasting is one of the major
and greatest inventions in the history possibly after discovery of fire and metals which
changed the pace of civilization. Dr.Alfred Nobel famous for the Nobel trust and Nobel
prizes is known for inventing dynamite. Blasting, explosives and dynamite became
synonymous since then with dynamite being the first safest high explosives.
Impact of rock blasting is enormous and currently utilizes many different type of
explosives with different compositions and performance properties. Higher velocity
explosives are used for relatively hard rock in order to shatter and break the rock, while low
velocity explosives are used in soft rocks to generate more gas pressure and a greater heaving
effect. The most commonly used explosives in large scale blasting today are ANFO
(ammonium nitrates and fuel oil) based blends due to lower cost than dynamite. Worldwide,
huge quantity of explosives is being consumed every day for various Mining and Civil
engineering needs. This consumption is also related with the breakage mechanism of rocks
and a optimised blast design may in-turn lead to huge savings. Understanding the rock
mechanics of blasting would help in safe, efficient and economic blast design and rock
breakage.
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11.2 EXPLOSIVES
Explosives are mixture of chemical compounds which rapidly decompose, instantly releasing
large quantity of energy in the form of heated gas at a high pressure. Its basic ingredients are
oxydiser, fuel and a sensitizer. Some of the important properties of explosives are,
strength, velocity of detonation (how long it takes to chemical reaction to happen and
energy released), density, water resistance, sensitivity, fume characteristic and legal
permission.
The strength of an explosive is a measure of the work done by a certain weight or volume of
explosive. This strength can be expressed in absolute units, or as a ratio relative to a standard
explosive. Usually the bulk strength of explosives is related to the strength of ANFO
(ammonium nitrate and fuel oil) that is assigned an arbitrary bulk strength of 100. One
measure of the strength of an explosive is its velocity of detonation (VOD); the higher the
velocity the greater the shattering effect. However, explosive strength, density and degree of
confinement are also factors that should be considered in selecting an explosive for a specific
purpose.
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Explosives types
Examples of high explosives are Nytroglycerine/dynamite, TNT, water gels, special gelatine,
slurry, emulsion, ANFO etc. whereas examples for low explosives, gun/ black powder.
A simple bench blasting representation is shown in figure 11.5 with vertical holes in an
inclined face. There are three basic zones formed during the blasting process, first the
pulverized zone, compressive stress zones and followed by radial cracking zone. Schematic
illustration of processes occurring in the rock around a blast hole, showing formation of
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crushing zone, fracture zone and fragment formation zone is shown in figure 11.6. Figure
11.7 shows the reflection of stress wave in the blasting process showing the reflected pulse
returning from the free face. A detailed mechanism of rock breakage with explosives with
spalling of rock surfaces with returning tensile wave pulse and the expansion of explosive
gases with high pressure is shown is figure 11.8 a-c.
Figure 11.5: A simple bench blasting representation- Vertical holes in an inclined face
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Figure 11.6: Illustration of processes occurring in the rock around a blast hole, showing
formation of crushing zone, fracture zone and fragment formation zone.
Free face
Reflected Pulse
Blast hole
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