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By Drew Martin

In March 2010 the Boral Linwood Quarry, Adelaide South Australia, implemented the blasting contractors Monte Carlo Blast Vibration Model as part of their blast design process. The Linwood Quarry was developing an area where blasting activities were marginally complying with the statutory vibration limits. Compliance to the statutory limits was only being achieved through the use of small blasts (less than 15 000 T (14 763 ton)) at a high cost to the quarry.

Jan 1, 2012

By W. J. Birch, R. Farnfield

Nuisance caused by perceived high vibration levels as a result of blasting on quarries and opencast coal mine is now the number one environmental concern of residents living adjacent to such operations. The intrinsic nature of blast vibration monitoring and prediction is that it is impossible to accurately forecast the vibration levels that will be experienced by a given blast at a given location. Thus it is that a statistical approach to the problem is the only viable option. Unfortunately, persuading local residents living adjacent to a project that requires blasting that this is the best way of safe guarding both their homes and their quality of life is not an easy task. Thus routine monitoring involving both operators and regulators play a key role in building trust. However, public confidence is often shaken when regulators and operators use two different blast monitoring instruments side by side to record a blast at a local resident’s house and arrive at different results. To make certain that this does not happen in future, what is needed is a protocol that ensures that any two different blasting seismographs give the same peak particle velocity values at the same observation point. To do this all the equipment manufacturers, regulators and relevant professional explosive engineering bodies need to be involved.

Jan 1, 2014

During underground mining, rock mass changes can occur as a function of the mining sequence and excavation processes. Mining-induced rock mass damage can occur due to redistribution of static stresses and the application of dynamic stresses from blasting and seismic activity. These rock mass changes can result in a degradation of strength of the bulk rock mass and the remaining rock surrounding existing excavations. Rock mass damage near existing excavations which lead to excavation-scale instabilities such as rock fall, excavation closure, or visible rock mass fracturing can detrimentally affect the safety and profitability of mining operations.The focus of the current work was the prediction and assessment of damage to mine infrastructure occurring in relation to the blasting of a sublevel open stope. The study case involved a 60kt stope located in a highly-competent rock mass at a large Australian sublevel open stoping mine. The mine infrastructure of interest for investigation included local stope access development, critical access and haulage development crossing a regional-scale fault, an explosives storage magazine and a ventilation return air raise. The methods used to predict or assess the blast-induced damage to each infrastructure element in response to stope extraction were:- intact rock strength testing,- discontinuity mapping,- linear-elastic static stress modelling,- blast-damage mapping,- near-field blast vibration monitoring and analysis,- geophysical assessment using inferred stiffness and wave velocity methods, and- post-extraction void assessment.The results of the detailed blast damage prediction and assessment program at the mine site have been discussed by the primary author elsewhere (Fleetwood, 2010). The current work will address blast-induced damage to mine infrastructure as a result of extraneous blasting vibrations from stope production blasting. A method for predicting the amplification of excavation surface motions from reflecting body waves will be discussed as well as the results of damage mapping around the study stope. The results of the damage mapping program identified blast-induced damage that occurred to the surface of the explosives storage magazine and local stope access development. No damage was observed at the main fault crossing or return air raise where higher vibration amplitudes were measured or predicted.

Dec 6, 2010

By David Sprott

The effect that underground blasting has on the stability of hangingwalls, pillars and other rock structures is an inherent part of Noranda's geomechanics and mine design program to improve mine safety and stability, increase productivity and reduce ore dilution. The blast monitoring program at Noranda Research aims to provide values of particle velocities and accelerations, delay firing times, and vibration periods to assist with practical blast design and controlled blasting techniques.

Jan 1, 1988

By D. Lee Petersen, Travis Davidsavor

The 2003-2004 expansion of a Duluth medical center required rock blasting adjacent to the existing structures, a Mn/DOT retaining wall and other urban structures. This case history describes the methods of a blast damage assessment, based on blast parameters, excavation locations, and critical vibration receptors (including surgical suites, a linear accelerator and a major retaining wall). The assessment concluded that blast vibrations could be controlled, by limiting charge weight, to eliminate impact at the critical receptors. Prior to construction, we conducted preconstruction surveys on structures susceptible to vibration damage. During construction, we reviewed submittals, observed test blasts, reviewed blasting logs and monitored blasting vibrations. Up to 13 seismographs were used simultaneously. Close coordination with medical center operations personnel was necessary to prevent impacts to critical medical procedures. Measured vibrations were clustered around the predicted values, and attenuated at the predicted rate. High-frequency blast induced ground vibrations induced low-frequency vibration of an adjacent MnDOT retaining wall. Medical center structures were observed to significantly attenuate the ground-borne vibrations. This paper was first published in the Proceedings of the 56th Annual Geotechnical Engineering Conference, 2008, at the University of Minnesota.

Jan 1, 2010

In order to satisfy environmental and mine operational requirements it is becoming increasingly important to minimise ground blast vibrations at certain locations. These locations are often in soil or on large resonant structures such as grain silos, highway bridges or even the walls of an open pit. A soil monitoring exercise was carried out to evaluate the common practice of coupling vibration detectors to the ground using spikes. At a series of locations in an operating quarry the spiked array response to single blastholes was compared with that of an accelerometer array attached to a calibrated embedded mount. The results clearly showed that the spiked arrays over-estimated the true ground vibration by 46.5 per cent on average, with a maximum observed error of 99.2 per cent. These errors are considered too large for compliance monitoring where accurate vibration levels are required for comparison with prescribed limits. Although spike coupling is convenient, its use for compliance monitoring should be viewed with caution. Unfortunately, however, many manufacturers supply their detectors as spiked arrays. A structural monitoring exercise was also carried out to evaluate the vibration response of a grain silo, highway bridge and a pit wall to the initiation of single blastholes. In this case accelerometers and standard geophones were firmly attached to the bridge which resonated at low frequencies. The results clearly show that, due to their limited low-frequency response, the geophones typically measured only half the true vibration level as measured by the accelerometers.

Jan 1, 1995

Blast vibration analysis under relatively near-field conditions has been carried out in a narrow-vein underground operation. The objective was to characterize the vibration signal (particle acceleration and velocity) from carefully controlled stope blasts. The limitations of such analysis in deriving design guidelines for reducing dilution has been elucidated. It has been shown that identification of each individual hole with specific explosive types can yield explosive-specific predictive equations for particle velocity. This has been coupled with measurement of actual overbreak to arrive at a limiting vibration level to generate a realistic design tool for controlling dilution in narrow-vein mines.

Jan 1, 2003

By Richard J. Mainiero, Eric S. Weiss

This project investigates the behavior of blast waves from the detonation of high explosives in an underground mine. A series of explosive tests was conducted in the underground and surface facilities at the Bureau of Mines' Lake Lynn Laboratory to evaluate the potentially dangerous effects of blast waves produced by open shooting, blown out holes, or accidental detonations of explosives. Shots of C4 and TNT were fired at the dead end of a 6 ft high by 20ft wide entry, at the intersection of two entries, and on the surface. C4 and TNT were chosen for this research because they exhibit very consistent performance. Behavior of the blast wave was evaluated through recording of the pressure as a function of distance from the explosive detonation.

Jan 1, 1995

By Charles Dowding, Cathrine Aimone-Martin

This article summarizes an investigation of the structural response of a brick façade home in New Mexico. The subject Ricter residence was located some 1100 to 1400 ft away from an aggregate quarry, and was subjected to a maximum peak particle velocity and air blast over pressure of 0.29 ips and 122 dB, respectively. Superstructure (corner) and mid-wall responses to blasting and human induced activities were measured. An existing exterior crack in the brick work was instrumented to measure crack width response to blasting, human induced activities, and environmentally induced changes in temperature and humidity. Crack and structure response data were correlated with ground velocity and airblast excitations. Amplification of ground motions at the upper structure were calculated and compared with values for typical wood frame structures. The natural frequency and damping characteristics of the structure were determined to compare with measured amplification values. Wall strains produced by bending and inplane tension strains were computed from upper corner structure response and compared to failure strains for drywall and brick veneer. Calculated strains were found to be far lower than those required to crack brick and environmentally induced crack response was found to be far greater than that caused by blast induced ground motion or airblast overpressures

Jan 1, 2005

By Henry M. Howe

MY attention has been drawn within a few days to a series of articles in Volume XVIII of the Engineering and Mining Journal, 1874, by Mr. J. A. Church, in which it is stated, among other

Jan 1, 1875

By C. C. Furnas

IT is well known that particles of different sizes are not distributed evenly throughout the average charge in an iron blast furnace. Just how great the disparity in particle size in different parts of a single plane in a furnace may be is indicated by the results of some recent investigations1 conducted by the Bureau of Mines on a furnace operating on Lake ores. The wide variations found in gas velocity, gas composition, and temperature from the periphery to the center of the upper charge column were caused by the great variation in particle size of the raw materials used and were also greatly influenced by the methods of charging. This paper summarizes the results of an investigation of the influence of different methods of charging and of the treatment of raw materials upon the size distribution of the solid particles in the blast furnace. A more complete report will appear later as a Bureau of Mines technical paper.

Jan 1, 1929

By R. W. H. Atcherson

BLAST-FURNACE flue dust is one of the most troublesome operating factors in the iron and steel industry. It is usually involved in all the unpleasant phases of blast-furnace operations. It adds to our aggravations until we are willing to spend large sums of money to keep it out of our stoves and boilers acid more money to handle it again and again on one scheme or another to induce the furnaces to retain it without bad after effects. Several successful operators claim that it is useless to recharge raw flue dust because the furnace would never have blown it out if it had been suitable material for blast-furnace consumption. Most of us who have made persistent efforts to return raw flue dust to the furnaces have decided that it is very often false economy to do so. Yet some remarkable results have been attained at the Ohio Works of the Carnegie Steel Co. through recharging raw dust. The plant comprises six modern blast furnaces. Up to 1909, about 300,000 tons of flue dust had accumulated in stock piles. During the last 10 years, there have been recharged into these furnaces all of the flue dust recovered from the furnace operations, the entire stock pile of flue dust, and nearly 80,000 tons of dust shipped from other furnaces of the Carnegie Steel Co. The results obtained are shown in Table 1.

Jan 2, 1920

By Ralph H. Sweetser

IN these days of the almost exclusive use of byproduct coke as the blast-furnace fuel in this country, it may seem out of place, and smacking too much of reminiscing, to say anything about the use of anthracite coal for blast-furnace fuel. Viewed in the light of present day research and of developments in alloy steel, some observations seem appropriate regarding this raw material that played such an important part in the development of the iron and steel industry during 50 years of the past century. The research work of that period, in which the whole iron and steel industry was revolutionized, passing from wrought iron to steel and from charcoal to three new mineral fuels for blast furnaces, was done chiefly in the full-sized plants of that day; and it was done largely by the ironmasters themselves. The laboratory had not become a part of the ironworks, and scientific instruments were lacking around the blast furnaces; "rule o' thumb" and erroneous theories prevailed-and have not yet all been eliminated. The recent interest in meteoric iron in connection with nickel steels and other alloys proves that it is worth while to search for the reasons for excellence and the causes for failures in the metallurgy of bygone days. Turner1 gives the reasons why the blast furnace of Dr. F. W. Geissenhainer on Silver Creek, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles northeast of Pottsville, was operated successfully with anthracite2 in August and September, 1836, and why several other attempts failed. It has taken a long time for us to find out that there are great differences in the behavior of anthracites from the several parts of the anthracite region, as well as differences in coking coals from the bituminous fields.

Jan 1, 1935

By Ralph Sweetser

IN these days of the almost exclusive use of byproduct coke as the blast-furnace fuel in this country, it may seem out of place, and smacking too much of reminiscing, to say anything about the use of anthracite coal for blast-furnace fuel. Viewed in the light of present day research and of developments in alloy steel, some observations seem appropri-ate regarding this raw material that played such an important part in the development of the iron and steel industry during 50 years of the past century. The research work of that period, in which the whole iron and steel industry was revolutionized, passing from wrought iron to steel and from charcoal to three new mineral fuels for blast furnaces, was done chiefly in the full-sized plants of that day; and it was done largely by the ironmasters themselves. The laboratory had not become a part of the ironworks, and scientific instruments were lacking around the blast fur-naces; "rule o' thumb" and erroneous theories prevailed-and have not yet all been eliminated. The recent interest in meteoric iron in connec-tion with nickel steels and other alloys proves that it is worth while to search for the reasons for excellence and the causes for failures in the metallurgy of bygone days. Turner1 gives the reasons why the blast furnace of Dr. F. W. Geissen-hainer on Silver Creek, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles northeast of Pottsville, was operated successfully with anthracite2 in August and September, 1836, and why several other attempts failed. It has taken a long time for us to find out that there are great differences in the behavior of anthracites from the several parts of the anthracite region, as well as differences in coking coals from the bituminous fields.

Jan 1, 1935

By Linn Bradley

R. J. WYSOR, So. Bethlehem, Pa. (communication to the Secretary*). At our plant (Bethlehem Steel Co.), we have had several Bradshaw burners under course of construction and erection for some time, but up to the present we have not had opportunity to put them in service. I regret that I can not take part in the discussion with some actual results from these, burners. Mr. Huessener properly emphasizes the importance of obtaining the highest combustion temperature practicable in boiler practice, which demands a near approach to perfect combustion conditions. The ideal burner is the one which, while meeting the various mechanical, requirements, fulfills the above condition under a wide range of gas pressure. The question as to the relative value of hot raw gas and cold washed gas for boiler use is a very interesting one. I think that in the past the importance of low temperature of washed gas sometimes has been over-emphasized. Mr. Huessener has pointed out that so far as temperature is concerned, no advantage accrues in washing gas below 100° F. In

Jan 3, 1917

By E. C. Pechin

AT the September meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute of Great Britain, Mr. Charles Wood, of the Tees Iron-works, read an interesting paper on "Further Improvements in Blast-Furnace Hearths," which was followed by an animated and instructive dis¬cussion. If the durability of hearths and in-walls is a matter of interest in England, where furnaces stay in blast from eight to twenty years, it

Jan 1, 1876

By Carlo Massa

THE Societá Auonima di Miniere e di Alti Fourni, familiarly known as the " Elba Company," works the rich ore-deposits of the Island of Elba under a long-term contract with the Italian Government. The ore-deposits are scattered over the eastern and southeastern coast; but as those parts of the island are not well provided with ports, the blast-furnaces were built at Portoferraio, the principal town of the island, situated on the northern shore, and possessing a magnificent natural harbor where even vessels as large as the battleships of the Italian navy can comfortably anchor. In the selection of Portoferraio. the cost of transporting the iron-ore from the different mines to the blast-furnaces has been reduced to a minimum, and shelter has been provided for the Company's flotilla of tugs and barges, as well as for the steamers carrying coal and pig-iron. The whole plant, of which a general view is given in Fig. 1, comprises 1. A discharging-pier with unloading-cranes. The ore and coal are transported from this pier by means of an aerial cable-rail¬way to the coal- and ore-storage yards. This cable-railway is supported by an iron bridge extending from the pier to the shore and by a wooden trestle extending from the shore to the yards. , 2. Blast furnaces, two in number, with all the accessory appa¬ratus, such as blowing-engines, dry purifiers, Cowper hot-blast stoves, hoists, etc. 3. Coke-ovens, two batteries, with coal-bin, crushers and boilers. 4. Engine-house containing the blast-engines and the electric generating-station. 5. Pumping-plant. 6. Narrow-gauge railways.

Mar 1, 1905

By H. E. Mussey

WHEN the American Institute of Mining Engineers visited the Birmingham district in May, 1888, the four Ensley furnaces (Fig. 1) then FIG. 1.-BLAST-FURNACE DEVELOPMENT IN ALABAMA. completed were referred to as monumental.1 Their dimensions are given in Table 1. Mr. Gordon stated, with considerable satisfaction, that on the preceding day one furnace had produced 165 tons. The blast was

Jan 10, 1924

By F. Clerf

BLAST-FURNACE practice in France is determined more or less by the character of the ores used. Some French ores are siliceous and others are calcareous, therefore by proper burdening a self-fluxing mix can be used. This is not always clone, as, for instance, at the Caen furnaces of the Société Métallurgique de Normandie, where the Soumont ore of Normandy is used, which is a carbonate. This ore is crushed and calcined at the mines, yielding a product that is porous and well sized for blast-furnace consumption. The lines of the Caen furnaces are given in Fig. 1. Originally these furnaces had 16 tuyeres; six are plucked and these tuyeres are set in the lower part of the bosh. Operating data on these furnaces are given in Table 1.

Jan 1, 1937

By Raymond Howe

SOME time ago,, a prominent engineer asked a representative of the firebrick industry to prepare a comprehensive paper on blast-furnace refractories. It was to have been the purpose of this paper to gather practical experiences from widely different sources, in the hope of determining what kind or kinds of firebrick were best adapted for certain uses. This engineer sent questionnaires to the large consumers of blast-furnace linings and stovebrick and received very detailed replies as to their experiences. These replies are conflicting, but, having been turned over to the writer, form the basis of this attempt to meet the request. Because of the impossibility of making final recommendations at this time, a few of the more interesting and commonly known methods of studying refractories are also discussed, as well as the more recent developments in this field. The first reply to, the questionnaire stated that good service was being secured from the linings. This satisfactory condition was attributed to the use of a very good distributor. The writer believed that manufacturers try to and do produce a good product and that the proper handling of equipment is of the utmost importance, if good results are to be secured. The type of bricks used was not mentioned. The second reply stated that good life was secured from the furnace linings, but that the writer had had soft-fired stovebrick crumble and, for that reason, preferred a hard-fired product for use in this position. The type of bricks used was not mentioned. The third reply stated that firebrick had crumbled from the mantle up; the cause was not known. The fourth reply stated that the stove linings were satisfactory. Hand-made furnace linings failed after 4 years' service so a steam-pressed lining was installed which was still good after 4 years of service. Consequently, a second steam-pressed lining was installed but this disintegrated at the top after the furnace had been in- blast 7 months. The firebrick manufacturer attributed this failure to the expansion of iron blocks that had been installed at the stock line to prevent erosion.

Jan 9, 1919