Outline

• Why Blast?
• Basics of Explosives
UWA Resource Engineering
• Blasting Rock
• Influence of Geology
An Introduction to Blasting • Questions?

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What is Blasting?
• The use of inherently energetic materials (ie
Explosives) that can undergo exothermic
reactions, producing heat and high pressure
gases
• The
h energy released
l d may be
b applied
li d to
surrounding materials to produce
– Fractures/Fragmentation
– Swelling/rotation of the broken material
– Displacement in a particular direction

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Why would we want to blast?

• Most rock cannot be broken by any other
method.
• Even where some other method is available,
blasting will usually be more cost-effective.
cost effective
• Blasting is highly efficient.
• Blasting can be well controlled/specific and
environmentally friendly.
• Blasting is fast and flexible.
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Page 1
 Basics of Explosives Initiating Explosives
• There are two main types of Initiators:
• There are three main categories of – Detonators
commercial explosives: – Detonating Cord
– Initiating explosives • There are several types of detonators
– Packaged/cartridged explosives i l di
including:
– Bulk explosives/blasting agents – Fuse
• Most explosive systems require all three to – Electric
be used – Shock tube
– Electronic

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Initiating Explosives Initiating Explosives

• Detonators are used to:
– Initiate cartridged explosives
– Control the sequence and timing with which
multi-charge blasts will fire
• Detonators are highly sensitive and are
consequently stored/transported separately

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Packaged/Cartridged Explosives
• These include:
– Emulsion/watergel sticks
– Cast explosive boosters
– Specialised charges - eg shape charges
• They are usually:
– Sensitive to detonators/detonating cord
– Used as either a primary or booster charge
– In 25kg boxes and stored in a HE magazine

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Page 2
 Bulk Explosive - Pumped
Bulk Explosives/Blasting Agents
Emulsion Blend
• These include:
– ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate/Fuel Oil)
– Bulk Emulsion/Water Gel
– Derivitive
Deri iti e blends
• They are usually:
– Only sensitive to a booster/explosive cartridge
– Used a primary charge
– Used in large quantities ie via a bulk explosive
truck
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Blasting Rock Blasting Rock

• Shock pulse from detonation fragments rock
• Gas pressure displaces and swells muckpile
• Hence, partition of total explosive energy
b
between:Shock
Sh k and dGGas energy iis iimportant
• Character of explosive should be matched
to the rock conditions and blasting aims

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3 Keys to Blast Efficiency

• The three keys to blast efficiency are:
– Energy Distribution
– Energy Confinement
– Energy
Energ Level
Le el
• All three must be considered and addressed
in the blast design and implementation

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Page 3
 Open Pit Blasting Open Pit Drilling
• Blasting conducted
from each bench to the
next
• Holes are drilled
vertically or inclined
to the face
• Holes range 76-
381mm diameter
• Explosive is charged
into the bottom of
each hole and
stemmed above
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Hole Drilling Modes Top Hammer

• Top Hammer – 76-140mm hole diameter • Suitable for Soft to hard rock 0-500MPa
• Down the Hole Hammer – 115-229mm hole • Low capital cost
diameter • Can drill close to batters at angles
• Rotary
R t – 229-381mm
229 381 hholed
l d diameter
di t • Deviation control deeper than 15m is
challenging – controlled by:
– Drilling slower than max rate
– Rock character
– Special gear – big rods, tubes, guide bits etc

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Down the Hole Hammer

• Suitable for Soft to Very Hard rock 0-600MPa
• Medium Capital Cost
• Smaller rigs (CUBEX, L8) can drill angled holes
with moderate clearance
• Bigger rigs (SKF, DML) need more clearance
from batters and can only drill angles with tail
space
• Very good deviation control

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Page 4
 Rotary Drilling Open Pit Blasting
• Suitable for Soft to Medium rock only 0-150MPa • Holes are connected
• High capital cost – long lead for supply together using
Initiators
• Needs large clearance from batters – too much • Delays
y are placed
p in
standoff
t d ff for
f hard
h d rockk each hole
• Good deviation control but large holes are a “blunt • Delays are placed
instrument” – far from ideal for wall control beween each hole
blasting collar
• Large footprint drills limit highest powder factor
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Open Pit Blasting

• Blast is initiated from
first hole
• Holes fire in design
sequence
q to allow each
hole to displace into
the void created by
previous hole(s)
• Process is called
burden relief

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What Factors Influence Blasting What Factors Influence Blasting

Results? Results?
•Controllable factors
•Uncontrollable factors
– Blast design
– Rock joints, spacing and direction
– Explosive type
– Rock hardness
– Face and blast shape
– Rock toughness
– Firing sequence and timing
– Rock density
– Blast orientation relative to rock structure
– Ground water
– Ground reactivity
– Distribution of ore
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 What Factors Influence Blasting
Why consider Geology?
Results?
•Uncontrollable factors •“Rock properties influence blasting results more than
explosive properties”
– Cavities
•Ignoring geology will usually lead to large variability in
– Floaters results
– Vugs
V gs •Linking blast design and rock properties can produce
consistent, acceptable results
– Porosity
•You don’t have to be a Geologist to understand rock
sufficiently

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Page 6
 Where do we get rock
information?
•Ore body models
•Grade hole lithology logs
•Diamond core - wall design data
•Face/floor maps
•Cross sections
•Previous adjacent blasts
•Blasthole logs

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Where do we get rock

Influence of Rock Joints
information?
•Blasthole water level vs time •In jointed rock - potentially most important
•Blasthole water samples factor
•Blasting records •Influences fragmentation - character
•Influences
fl explosive
l i gas confinement/rock
fi / k
displacement

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Influence of jointing
•Influence greatest in
– Face
– Top
– Back

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Wide joint spacing

•Can be a challenge
•Will tend to produce
big rocks
•Blast
Blast design can help

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Best ways to control

Wide joint spacing
fragmentation
•Better explosive •Hole diameter
distribution
•Stemming length
•Better fragmentation
•Spacing and burden
•But
But higher drilling,
initiation and labour •Explosive type/density
costs •Subdrill
•But must calculate cost-effectiveness

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Page 8
 Influence of joint direction Inconsistent ground
•Where ground is inconsistently strong or weak
– Floaters
– Cavities
– Vugs
– Mud seams
– Cap rock
– Weathered zone

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Improving The Fragmentation Of Float ers Weak mud seam

float ers reduced deck
pat t ern loading

soft
clay

hard
rock

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Ground Water
•Two broad types
– Static
– Dynamic
•Dynamic
D i is
i mostt influential
i fl ti l
•Density of water should be checked
•May be highly localised

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Page 9
 Influence of Ground Water
•Limits explosive choices - type and density
•Reduces explosive sleep time
•May influence explosive reliability and energy
output
•Limits maximum delay time
•Reduces blasthole stability - silting and collapse

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Influence of Ground Water

•Reduces stemming performance - may
necessitate aggregate stemming
•Increases rock density - reducing swell
•Increases explosive
l i gas coolingli rate -
reducing heave
•May fluidise muckpile causing flow and
low muckpile

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Reactive ground
•Can lead to premature detonation of
blastholes
•Produces dangerous gases - NOx, CO, SO2
•May require
– Blasthole temperature logging
– Reduced explosive sleep time
– Special explosive or hole liners

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Page 10