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By Jim Simpson, John Waller, Scott Stewart

The authors review the evolution of drilling and blasting procedures at this West Virginia surface coal mine where management seeks continually to improve and update the drilling and blasting programs. Today's operations require efficient programs which include quality control to maximize production and minimize the public's sensitivity to the blasting events.

Jan 1, 1992

By Norman S. Smith, Troy D. Harris, Richard L. Ash

In open-cut bench blasting drilling boreholes below grade level is normally considered essential to insure toes do not remain. The extra drilling and use of explosive below floor level are not only expensive but on occasion cause serious problems including severe floor damage and excessive ground vibrations. It has been reported that under certain circumstances explosive in the subdrilling has been successfully substituted by broken rock with its associated benefits.

Jan 1, 1978

By Michael D. McGill, John L. Turner, Don Sieger, Doyle Newhouse

Since its introduction by Atlas Powder Company in late 1986 as a means of highwall stabilization in surface coal mines (1), applications of the basic AirDek (2) blasting technique have multiplied rapidly.

Jan 1, 1991

By Rahim G. Haghighi, Calvin J. Konya

Fragmentation is the fundamental concern of rock blasting and it measures the effectiveness of blasting. Fragmentation is sensitive to not only the interrelationship among the design variables, but also is sensitive to local geology. Local geologic conditions have a significant impact on the success of a blasting operation.

Jan 1, 1986

By H Russell

An account of an experimental blast at the Sullivan Mine involving a small pillar drilled with 4 1/2" diameter up-holes, and loaded with emulsion explosives from a truck-mounted tank/pump unit.

Jan 1, 1984

By Zoltan Susanszky

Technical development in blasting requires improvement of industrial explosion techniques in two fields. One is to apply increasingly exact and economical solutions with more effective explosives, the other is to restrict as much as possible the environmental effect of explosions.

Jan 1, 1978

By GF Brent, Armstrong L. W

It is recognised that presplitting is a special case in blasting which requires the reduction of conventional explosive pressures in order to avoid excessive rock damage. Two routes to achieving this are the use of reduced density explosives or the practice of decoupling the explosive from the blasthole walls. Applications of two such systems in large diameter, deep blastholes are described. Both systems were tested in presplits alongside sections charged with decks of conventional explosives.

Jan 1, 1998

By Bill Romanchuk, Real Doucet

Suncor Inc. has been operating the first commercial tarsand open pit mine in the world since 1967. Drilling and blasting operations are required to facilitate overburden removal and tarsand mining by bucketwheel excavators.

Jan 1, 1985

By Bengt Niklasson

"A test stope at the Luossavaara Research Mine in Kiruna, Sweden,was divided into four different modules in which various hole patterns and explosives were tested in order to evaluate:1. The optimum combination of explosive and hole pattern2. The resulting fragmentation3. The damage to the surrounding rock4. The application techniques of the VCR mining method"

Jan 1, 1985

By Kamal Wadhwa

Ever since the introduction of Liquid oxygen explosives in India in 1927, these explosives are being extensively used in the various mining industries such as coal, ironore, limestone, bauxite, magnesite etc. The earlier LOX compositions were based on cellulosic material of Weberlox series of French origin. They contained the basic ingredients of saw dust with an admixture of cork dust, some hydrocarbons and some metallic powders. However, there were some inherent defects in the soaking characteristics of these compositions, in as much as, absorption and retention of liquid oxygen in the cartridges were not properly regulated in the fine pores and in the inter-granular spaces inside the ingredients in a uniform manner.

Jan 1, 1989

By Richard J. Mainiero, James Q. Wheeler, Lewis H. Kopera, Yael Miron, Solin S. W Kwak

The research reported here was part of an effort to evaluate the safety of a process to recover TNT from MK-9 depth bombs by the autoclave meltout process. In this process the depth bombs are heated to 121oC so that the TNT will melt and run into a vat. Unfortunately, asphalt lining the inside surface of the bomb also melts and flows out with the TNT. Prior to this study, it was not known what effect the asphalt contamination and the higher than normal process temperatures (121oC) would have on the sensitivity of the TNT.

Jan 1, 1996

By Thomas A. Simpson, Yung-Kwaun Jow, Dennis L. Gamble

Construction of the $200 million Riverchase Galleria Mall in Hoover, Alabama was started in early 1984. The construction area consists of about 70 acres. The extensive building complex requires heavy concrete foundations which have to be poured during the early stages of construction and on a nearly daily situation so that contractual agreements can be met on a timely basis.

Jan 1, 1985

By C. Pelley, S. Kelebek, G. Kunzel, P. Katsabanis

Small blocks of granodiorite have been subjected to blast loads from a single borehole and from a series of boreholes detonating at various timing intervals. The damage of the blocks was assessed through P-wave velocity monitoring, measuring the change of the point load strength index of the rock after dividing the large blocks into smaller ones and measuring the work index of the material at different distances away from the blasthole. Numerical modelling with the AutodynTM code enabled visualization of damage. It was shown that damage is optimum at a small delay time between successive holes while it drops rather drastically after this point.

Jan 1, 2003

By Salah A. Taqieddin

The blast casting technique of removing overburden is an innovative technique which was successfully used in the mining of certain surface coal and quarries. This method was found to be efficient in minimizing the labor and equipment cost while accelerating mining operation with safety. This method was successfully applied to horizontal as well as to dipping coal seams. Also it was practically applied to single as well as to multiple ore bodies

Jan 1, 1992

By Jerry R. Wallace

A systematic, team approach to pre-blast and on-going problem solving contributed to the successful completion of this indoor industrial construction blasting project.

Jan 1, 1995

By Stephen A. Rholl

Computer software has been developed which uses fast Fourier Transform (FFT) techniques to analyze the frequency spectrum associated with peaks in ground vibration time histories. The procedure consists of filtering the FFT of a time history into individual frequency components.

Jan 1, 1996

By Alan R. Gadberry

Good mine planning is critical to the success of a safe, cost effective mine. Many factors contribute to the overall success of an open pit mining operation: proper pit location and development, good drilling and blasting practice, and well conceived short range and long range mining plans.

Jan 1, 1981

Vibration resulting from blasting has been a source of concern from the inception of the use of explosives. As a result many investigations have been made concerning the seismic effects of blasting and at present there is available an adequate set of standards with which to judge seismically the damage capability of a blasting operation.

Jan 1, 1976

By Yu Yalun, Meng Chuyan, Wang Lin, Wang Deshang

Based on the analysis of problems with wall control blasts in open pits, the essential theoretical basis and technological design of the damping presplit blasts are put forward. After practical application of this method in Nanfen Open Pit China, very good results have been achieved: 1) The rate of decreased vibration is up to 40%; and 2) The damage area of slope is reduced about 60%.

Jan 1, 1998

By Michael S. Stern, Gordon P. McDonald

The increasing costs and problems associated with transporting and safely disposing of used engine oils from remote mine sites have caused mining companies to consider other ways to consume their used oil. One practical method of disposing of these used oils is to blend them with the diesel component of ANFO and Heavy ANFO type explosives.

Jan 1, 1993