Harmonising Rock Engineering and the Environment – Qian & Zhou (eds)

© 2012 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-0-415-80444-8

Effective explosive energy utilization for engineering blasting – initial results

of an inventive stemming plug, SPARSH

Md. Sazid & M.R. Saharan

Central Institute of Mining & Fuel Research, Regional Centre, Unit-1, Nagpur

T.N. Singh
Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai

ABSTRACT: Initial results of an inventive stemming plug acronym as SPARSH (Stemming Plug Augmenting Resistance to
Stemming in Holes) are presented through three case studies. The case studies are undertaken in different geomining conditions
and blasting specifications. It has been demonstrated that the effective stemming provided by SPARSH, irrespective of the
stemming column length requirements and type of material for stemming, results into no-fly rock blasting, boulders formation
eliminated and explosive energy utilization increases. It has been found that SPARSH increases explosive energy retention
time, reduces ejection velocity and ejection height. Effective confinement provided by SPARSH most likely results into higher
borehole pressure generation and it allows a longer duration for explosive energy to act upon the rockmass for the fragmentation
and muck displacement. It is also shown that better explosive energy utilization put lesser pressure on loading-hauling equipment
which can reduce carbon footprints for the mining.

Subject: rock breakage and excavation techniques

Keywords: blasting, case studies, mining

1 INTRODUCTION

Stemming is an important parameter for control of engineer-

ing blasting as the stemming column is the weakest place for
ejection of explosive energy resulting into deleterious impacts
such as fly rock and boulders formation. Seminal research
for stemming has been first reported by Bergoyne (Bergoyne,
1849). The research work in past is largely limited to defining
size and type of the stemming material for effective engi-
neering blasting (Konya and Outoyne, 1978; Chiapetta et al.,
1983). Few research have also been carried out to develop
contrivances known as stemming plugs to effectively con-
tain explosive energy for engineering blasting (Worsey, 1988;
Jenkins, 2001; Shann, 2002). Nonetheless, results of the past
research indicate that the stemming length cannot be reduced
which has been kept greater than 1/3rd of the blasthole length
since centuries. Furthermore, the past research prohibits use
of drill cuttings as stemming material and the mine opera-
tors prefer to use drill cuttings as stemming material due to
ease in availability. This encouraged authors of this paper
to develop a device which can be effortlessly and econom-
ically used for engineering blasting operations irrespective
of the stemming length requirements with substantial reduc-
tion in the stemming length, time and material. This paper
presents preliminary results of field experimentation for a new
type of stemming plug, which is acronym as SPARSH (Stem-
ming Plug Augmenting Resistance to Stemming in Holes). Figure 1. Location map of case studies.
The results are presented without elaborating construction of
SPARSH as the objective is to evaluate effectiveness of proper blasting, enhancement in the explosive energy utilization and
stemming without revealing proprietary nature of the device. it eliminates requirements for secondary blasting. Results of
Three case studies involving application of SPARSH under field experimentation are evaluated in terms of retention time,
different geomining conditions and different blasting speci- ejection velocity of the explosive energy calculated using high
fications have been presented (Figure 1). It has been demon- speed video imaging, fragmentation assessment using digital
strated that the application of SPARSH results into no-fly rock image analysis and time-study of shovel-dumper combination.

1265
 Figure 3a. Face at the time of initiation.

Figure 2. Venting of explosive energy from stemming collar at 676

milliseconds time in drill cuttings stemming section.

2 CASE STUDY 1 – LIMESTONE MINE

The mine-A is using NONEL initiation system with

ANFO explosive for its blasting operations involving
burden × spacing defined as 2 m × 3 m for 10 m high benches
using 165 mm diameter blastholes. The routine blasting has it
problems of boulders formation and fly rocks, thus the mine
management has implemented an in-pit crusher to deal with
large size boulders. Few initial experiments in the mine indi-
cated that the larger amount of explosive energy was vented
from borehole collar despite the stemming was done to a
length of 3.5 m for 10 m deep holes with proper temping to
drill cuttings as stemming material (Figure 2). Further exper-
iments included redefining the burden × spacing pattern as
3 m × 4.25 m for the mine with SPARSH as one component
of stemming placed just above the explosive column followed
by normal stemming up to the borehole collar. Results from Figure 3b. Face after initiation (220 millisec).
one of the experiments are illustrated through Figure 3 using
high speed video imaging. The experimental blasting with
revised burden × spacing pattern resulted into no fly rock and
there were no boulders formation occurred. The mine could
improve its blasting operations though the specific powder
consumption was reduced from 0.3 kg/m3 to 0.1 kg/m3 for the
mine. It has been calculated that the yield per hole of ore to
the mine increased by 170t and the shovel loading time has
been reduced by 50% with the application of SPARSH as part
stemming material. Apart from the result illustrated through
Figure 3, it has been proved in the mine that the effectiveness
of SPARSH does not diluted with reduction in the stemming
length from 3 m to 1.5 m.

3 CASE STUDY 2 – MANGANESE MINE

The metamorphosed sedimentary deposit in the mine-B has

RMR varying from 24 to 65 and the strength of the strata
is varying from 4 MPa to 40 MPa. The hangwall has three
Figure 3c. Face after 1200 millisec.
joint planes including schistocity plane. It became difficult
for the mine management to contain explosive energy within Figure 3. Progression of blasting with burden × spacing of
the rockmass due to high variation in the strength and change 3 m × 4.25 m in Mine-A.

1266
Figure 4. Typical boulder formation in Mine-B.
Figure 5. Fragment size distribution curve (Rosin-Ramler) for
Table 1. Time study for shovel-dumper loading cycle. blasting section involving SPARSH.

Shovel = 1.2 m3 Without With Abs. %

Dumper = 6.4 m3 SPARSH SPARSH Change Change

Bucket passes req. 9 5 4 −44

Dumper load time, sec. 6 2.75 3.25 −54

in rock mass characterization parameters. Invariably, blast-

ing result into big boulders with intact holes in the mine
(Figure 4).The burden × spacing pattern in the mine is defined
as 2.3 m × 2.5 m for 110 mm diameter holes of 6 m height. The
mine is using detonating cord as initiation system. An exper-
imental blast involved 34 holes had 17 holes charged with
conventional stemming and remaining 17 holes had SPARSH
as the only changed parameter in blasting. Figure 5 and Fig-
ure 6 illustrate the fragment size distribution pattern from the
respective blasting section as analyzed using digital image
analysis technique by employing in-house developed soft-
ware, FRAGALYST (CMRI, 2000). It can be noticed that
SPARSH generated K50 (mean fragment size with 50% pass-
ing) fragments of 0.13 m and K98 (mean fragment size with
98% passing) fragments of 0.22 m. K98 fragments gener-
ated by SPARSH were close to the optimum fragment size
of 0.2 m for 1.7 m3 bucket of shovel employed in the mine.
The holes stemmed with conventional drill cuttings generated
K50 fragments of 1.3 m and K98 fragments of 2.2 m. Time
study conducted for change in loading-hauling machines is
summarized in Table 1. It can be noticed from Table 1 that the
application of SPARSH resulted into 44% decrease in num-
ber of passes required to fill the dumper and 54% decrease
in the filling time over muck generated from convention-
ally stemmed blasting. Fewer passes of shovel bucket and
lesser time for loading dumper means lower carbon footprints
for the mine due to energy saving resulted from improved
performance.
4 CASE STUDY 3 – ROCK PHOSPHATE MINE
Special purpose reduced charge blasting was experimented
in Mine-C due to sensitivity of the blast site. The blast site
had proximity with critical potable water conveying pipe line
and human populace. 85 blastholes of 215 mm diameter for
Figure 6. Fragment size distribution curve (Rosin-Ramler) for
blasting section involving drill cuttings stemming.
8 m high bench were charged to 3 m with SMS explosive
for compacted dolomitic hangwall top bench of the mine.
40 holes were stemmed to 3 m depth with SPARSH at the
bottom of drill cuttings leaving 2 m of air-decking column
on the top of the explosive while 45 holes were stemmed to
5 m long stemming column using conventional direct evidence
that SPARSH does substantially blasting explosive energy uti-
lization for positive work of rock fragmentation and muck
displacement. Figure 7 is the post-blast scenario for a length
of 120 m for conventionally stemmed blasting section where
blasting could not generate even fracturing to the rockmass.
In contrast, SPARSH application could generate fragments to
the complete section of 40 holes with fragment size easily
operable with loading-hauling machines and the muck was
displaced to 3.5 m from the last row of the blasting (Figure 8).
High speed video image analysis indicated that application
of SPARSH increased retention time of explosive in blasthole
column from 14 millisec to 76 millisec. The respective ejec-
tion velocity was reduced from 380 m/sec to 250 m/sec and
the ejection height reduction was noticed from 104 m to 44 m

1267
 5 SUMMARY

Initial results of an inventive stemming contrivance are shared.

It has been demonstrated from experimental blasts in differ-
ent geomoing and blasting specifications that the contrivance,
SPARSH (Stemming Plug Augmenting Resistance to Stem-
ming in Holes) is capable in yielding no fly-rock blasting,
blasting without boulders formation and it enhances explosive
energy utilization. The positive effects of blasting achieved
from SPARSH is due to the fact that it effectively stem the
explosive energy within the borehole so that higher borehole
pressure is generated and the generated pressure acts for a
longer duration for fracturing, fragmentation and displace-
ment to the fragmented muck. It is also shown that application
of SPARSH can reduce carbon footprints for the mining.

REFERENCES
Figure 7. Blasting output from conventional stemming in Mine-C.
Burgoyne, J. S. 1849. Rudimentary treatise on the blasting and
quarrying of stone. London.
Chiappetta, R. F., Bauer, A., Dailey. P. J., and Burchell., S. L.
1983. The use of high-speed motion picture photography in blast
evaluation and design, ISEE, Dallas, Texas.
CMRI. 2000. Fragalyst4.0 – A Digital Image Analysis Tool.
Jenkins, S. S. Jr., and Jenkins, T. S. 2001. Spherical stemming plug
and method of use. Patent No. US 6213212 B1. April 10, 2001.
Kang, D. W. 2008. Self-supporting air tube for blasting, Patent No.
US007331291B2. February 19, 2008.
Konya, C. J., Otuonye, F. O. and Skidmore, D. R. 1982. Airblast
Reduction from Effective Blast-hole Stemming, In Proc. the Eight
Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique, Society
of Explosives Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Shann, P. C. 2002. Stemming arrangement and method for blast holes
Patent No. US006386111B1, May 14, 2002.
Worsey, P. and Nixon, T. 1988. The Development and Testing of a
New Mechanical Stemming Aid. Research Symposium of ISEE.
pp. 118–133.

Figure 8. Fragmentation with SPARSH in Mine-C.

from SPARSH application. It appears that increase in retention

time for the explosive energy facilitated by SPARSH gener-
ated higher borehole pressure which acted for longer duration
to fracture, fragment and displace the fragmented muck.

1268