• Explosives and Blasting
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.40-54
• /
• 2010

The messer shield method applys mainly to a tunnel with small cross-section of a weathered soil or weathered rock district and is fulfilled mostly by man-power excavation. but in case that hard rock exposes on tunnel face, incredible is an application of the rock-splitting method using a hydraulic power or a blasting method. This study represents the case of a blasting method which can control to be practiced by the minimum charges of 125 g an initial vibration occurring at the cut instead of the rock-splitting method, even though water pipe and gas pipe are closely adjacent.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.16 no.6 s.65
• /
• pp.476-485
• /
• 2006

During blasting, both shock wave and gas are generated in detonation process of explosives and the generated wave and gas expansion may create new fractures and damage rock mass. In order to explain and understand completely the fracture mechanism by blasting, we have to consider both effects of the wave and gas expansion simultaneously. In this study, we use a discrete element code, PFC2D and develop an algorithm which is capable of modeling both detonation and gas pressures acting on blasthole wall and visualizing generated cracks within rock mass. Moreover, the gas-pressure modeling method which applies a corresponding external force of gas pressure to parent particles of radial fractures is adopted to simulate a coopting between rock mass and gas penetrating created radial fractures. The developed algorithm is verified by reproducing numerical simulations of a lab-scale test blast successfully.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.360-368
• /
• 2010

The paper presents a case study from a surface mine where the controlled augmentation of throw and drop of the blasted muck piles was warranted to spread the muck piles on the lower berm of the bench. While the augmentation of throw increased the lateral spread and the looseness of the broken muck, the augmentation of drop significantly lowered the muck pile height for easy excavation by the excavators. In this light, the present paper highlights and discusses some pertinent changes in the blast design parameters for such specialized application of cast blasting in a surface mine, where a sandstone bench, with average height of 22-24 m was to be made amenable for excavation by 10 m3 rope shovels, which possessed maximum digging capability of up to 14 m. The results of tailoring the blast design parameters for augmentation of throw and drop are compared with the baseline blasts which were earlier practiced on the same bench by dividing the full height of the bench in 2-slices; upper slice (10-14 m high) and lower slice (12-15 m high). Results of fragment size, its distribution and total cycle time of excavator (shovel) are presented, and discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.57-66
• /
• 2008

In this study, the blast-induced vibration effects on the structural stability of the adjacent tunnel and the stability were estimated with respect to the allowable peak particle velocity (PPV). The blasting distance from the tunnel satisfying the allowable PPV was estimated based on the analytical solutions, United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) suggestions, and the equations used in the subway in Seoul. The allowable blasting distance was estimated by using finite difference analysis (FDA) and the behavior of the concrete lining and rock bolts was examined and the stability of those was estimated during the blast. Research results show that the blast-induced vibration effects on the structural stability are negligible for the concrete lining but relatively large for the rock bolts.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.129-139
• /
• 2006

When blasting by imposing the time difference between two adjacent charge holes, the mutual interference phenomenon occurs depending the feature of blast. This interference phenomenon of blast amplifies or compensates the blast-induced vibration depending on the overlapping mechanism. Thus, this experiment aims at finding out the optimum delay time by measuring the blast vibration data from the single hole blast during the blasting test and composing each blasting waveform, and at proving the its efficiency by applying the composition delay time in the entire cross section. The experiment showed that the blasting-induced vibration was reduced by endowing an optimum delay time of electronic detonator appropriate to the rock quality of construction site compared to the typical delay time (20, 25ms) of existing detonator (non-electric and electric detonator). From these results, the excavation efficiency using blasting could be enhanced..

• Explosives and Blasting
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.15-24
• /
• 2015

In general, blast vibrations could make underground cavern unstable by causing relative movements between the surrounding rock blocks that are divided by discontinuities such as joints and faults around the cavern. In the study, a blast guideline was established to obtain the stability of a large-scale cavern for underground crusher room in an open pit limestone mine in Korea. The guideline was suggested in the form of a standard calculation method of the maximum charge per delay for a safe blast. The allowable level of peak particle velocity for the cavern was determined based on the result of a numerical analysis using FLAC2D. The ground vibration data required for the study was obtained from field measurements.

• Explosives and Blasting
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.29-42
• /
• 2012

Variables influencing the free face movement due to rock blasting include the physical and mechanical properties, in particular the discontinuity characteristics, explosive type, charge weight, burden, blast-hole spacing, delay time between blast-holes or rows, stemming conditions. These variables also affects the blast vibration, air blast and size of fragmentation. For the design of surface blasting, the priority is given to the safety of nearby buildings. Therefore, blast vibration has to be controlled by analyzing the free face movement at the surface blasting sites and also blasting operation needs to be optimized to improve the fragmentation size. High-speed digital image analysis enables the analyses of the initial movement of free face of rock, stemming optimality, fragment trajectory, face movement direction and velocity as well as the optimal detonator initiation system. Even though The high-speed image analysis technique has been widely used in foreign countries, its applications can hardly be found in Korea. This thesis aims at carrying out a fundamental study for optimizing the blast design and evaluation using the high-speed digital image analysis. A series of experimentation were performed at two large surface blasting sites with the rock type of shale and granite, respectively. Emulsion and ANFO were the explosives used for the study. Based on the digital images analysis, displacement and velocity of the free face were scrutinized along with the analysis fragment size distribution. In addition, AUTODYN, 2-D FEM model, was applied to simulate detonation pressure, detonation velocity, response time for the initiation of the free face movement and face movement shape. The result show that regardless of the rock type, due to the displacement and the movement velocity have the maximum near the center of charged section the free face becomes curved like a bow. Compared with ANFO, the cases with Emulsion result in larger detonation pressure and velocity and faster reaction for the displacement initiation.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.480-490
• /
• 2008

The drilling monitoring is a technique to assess rock mass properties by analyzing the mechanical quantities measured by drilling process. Since drilling survey can be conducted on real-time-basis for excavating blast holes or rockbolt holes, it may enables fast and quantitative prediction and evaluation of rock mass. Though a number of studies have been conducted on the drilling data, the selection of drilling parameters and numerical quantification of mechanical quantities or rock mass have not been well established yet. In this study, drilling tests were conducted with homogeneous rock specimen to identify drilling parameters and the relation of the drilling data. As a result, it is verified that above all drilling parameters, the percussion was the most important factor on the excavatability of hydraulic drilling.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.212-223
• /
• 2014

In this study, the stability analyses for metal mine roadways at a great depth were performed. In-situ stress measurements using hydrofracturing, numerous laboratory tests for rock cores and GSI & RMR classifications were conducted in order to find the physical properties of both intact rock and in-situ rock mass distributed in the studied metal mine. Through the scenario analysis and probabilistic assessment on the results of rock mass classification, the in-situ ground conditions of mine roadways were divided into the best, the average and the worst cases, respectively. The roadway stabilities corresponding to the respective conditions were assessed by way of the elasto-plastic analysis. In addition, the appropriate roadway shapes and the support patterns were examined through the numerical analyses considering the blast damaged zone around roadway. It was finally shown to be necessary to reduce the radius of roadway roof curvature and/or to install the crown reinforcement in order to enhance the stability of studied mine roadways.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.268-278
• /
• 2015

Background: This study aimed to assess the whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure among large blast hole drill machine operators with regard to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recommended threshold values and its association with machine- and rock-related factors and workers' individual characteristics. Methods: The study population included 28 drill machine operators who had worked in four opencast iron ore mines in eastern India. The study protocol comprised the following: measurements of WBV exposure [frequency weighted root mean square (RMS) acceleration ($m/s^2$)], machine-related data (manufacturer of machine, age of machine, seat height, thickness, and rest height) collected from mine management offices, measurements of rock hardness, uniaxial compressive strength and density, and workers' characteristics via face-to-face interviews. Results: More than 90% of the operators were exposed to a higher level WBV than the ISO upper limit and only 3.6% between the lower and upper limits, mainly in the vertical axis. Bivariate correlations revealed that potential predictors of total WBV exposure were: machine manufacturer (r = 0.453, p = 0.015), age of drill (r = 0.533, p = 0.003), and hardness of rock (r = 0.561, p = 0.002). The stepwise multiple regression model revealed that the potential predictors are age of operator (regression coefficient ${\beta}=-0.052$, standard error SE = 0.023), manufacturer (${\beta}=1.093$, SE = 0.227), rock hardness (${\beta}=0.045$, SE = 0.018), uniaxial compressive strength (${\beta}=0.027$, SE = 0.009), and density (${\beta}=-1.135$, SE = 0.235). Conclusion: Prevention should include using appropriate machines to handle rock hardness, rock uniaxial compressive strength and density, and seat improvement using ergonomic approaches such as including a suspension system.