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