Rock Breakage by Explosives (original) (raw)

Numerical investigation of blasting-induced crack initiation and propagation in rocks

International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2007

To investigate the dynamic fracture mechanism related to blast-induced borehole breakdown and crack propagation, circular rock models containing a single centrally located source of explosive were numerically blasted using the AUTODYN 2D code. According to the material properties and loading conditions, four kinds of equations of state, linear, shock, compaction and ideal gas, are used. A modified principal stress failure criterion is applied to determining material status. The dynamic stresses at the selected target points in a rock sample are computed as a function of time following application of explosive load. It is shown that shear stress (resulting from intense compressive stress) causes a crushed zone near the borehole, the major tensile principal stress causes radial cracks, and the reflected stress wave from free boundary causes circumferential cracks some distance away from the free boundary. The influences of the factors of boundary condition, coupling medium, borehole diameter, decoupling and joint on rock dynamic fracture are discussed. r

A brief history of the development of blasting and the modern theory of rock breaking

Journal of Degraded and Mining Lands Management, 2016

The article is devoted to the task today to improve the effectiveness of blasting during construction of horizontal and inclined mine excavations. Construction of new and reconstruction of existing mines requires large volume of excavation works, which length can reach tens of kilometers for only one project. Drilling and blasting workings allow not only to break out rocks from a frontal part of an excavation, but also cause an internal effect, which can lead to undesired damage that, in turn, often lead to increased expenses for excavation operations and safety problems for personnel. Calculation methods for blasting and explosion operations is a topical issue in mining industry as they allow to improve characteristics of excavation works and safety of explosion operations. Dozens of scientists offer their design, which reflects the vision of the problem and its solution. There are many methods for calculating the parameters of drilling and blasting, but so far not developed a uniform methodology of calculation, which would encompass all the factors and explained the mechanism of formation of cracks around the explosive charge and the process of breaking rock. The paper presents a novel methodology for calculations for blasting and explosion operations. That methodology comprises various specifics of rock geology and mining engineering during works in horizontal and vertical excavations. In this paper given an algorithm for calculation two main areas of destruction: crushed zone and fracturing zone. In addition, article outlines main aspects of Mining Engineering Development from Antiquity until present days and presents the dynamic of mineral resources.

Numerical investigation of blasting-induced damage in cylindrical rocks

International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2008

In order to investigate rock fracture and fragmentation mechanisms under dynamic loading, a cylindrical rock model with a centralized borehole is developed through the use of AUTODYN code. According to the material properties and loading conditions, four kinds of equation of state (EOS), linear, shock, compaction and ideal gas, are applied to the four kinds of materials employed in this numerical model. A modified principal stress failure criterion is applied to determining material status, and a well-behaved explosive, PETN, and a relatively homogeneous igneous rock, diorite, are used in this rock model. A single centrally located line source of explosive is fired numerically to produce the dynamic loadings operating on the surrounding rocks. This numerical model is applied to actual blasting conditions. The rock failure mechanism under dynamic loading is first analyzed, and then the influences of the following factors on rock fracturing are discussed: (a) coupling medium, (b) confinement, (c) boundary condition, (d) initiation location in an explosive column, and (e) air ducking. The results show that all these factors have significant effects on rock fracturing under dynamic loading. r

Study of rock fracture under blast loading

Bulletin of the Polish Academy of Sciences Technical Sciences

A study of dolomite rock material failure using a simple small-scale blast setup is presented. Laboratory tests were conducted using disc specimens drilled with a borehole in the center. A detonation cord and a blasting cap were fitted inside the borehole to induce cracking and fracturing of the specimens. The specimens were inserted between two steel plates, which were compressed against the specimen using bolt screws. Prior to testing, the most suitable screw torque for constraining the vertical displacement of the specimen surfaces without compressing the specimen was selected based on numerical simulations. Then, the experimental tests with the blasting cap were simulated using the Johnson-Holmquist II (JH-2) material model, and the properties of the blasting cap were determined and verified in two special tests with a lead specimen. Possessing the validated model, the influence of specimen thickness on the cracking patterns was finally analyzed. This paper presents a relatively easy method for studying rock material behavior under blast loading and for validating the numerical and constitutive models used for rock simulations.

Numerical Modelling of Blast Induced Fracture in Rock Masses

Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Engineering Computational Technology

Borehole blasting is a technique widely applied to form fracture networks in coal masses. There are many original cracks in coal masses, such as bedding planes and cleat planes. Coal masses are also subjected to high in-situ stress deep underground. However, the effects of pre-existing cracks and in-situ stress on blast-induced fractures are not well understood. In this paper, the isotropic and kinematic hardening plasticity model considering compression and tensile failure is introduced to numerical models, and the contact interface is used to simulate the effect of jointed planes on coal-mass blasting. The effects of jointed plane, constant in-situ stress and lateral pressure coefficient on blast-induced cracks are explored, and the relative peak displacement (Δu p) of jointed planes is considered as the basis for determining jointed plane failure. The results indicate that blast-induced cracks tend to expand along jointed planes in the coal mass; the in-situ stress enhances the compression effect and weakens the tension effect in the radial direction of the borehole; and the jointed plane failure zone in coal masses decreases with increasing in-situ stress. The lateral pressure coefficient also has a distinctive influence on blast-induced crack expansion.

Three dimensional numerical rock damage analysis under blasting load

Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 2013

In this study, the behaviour of rock mass subjected to blasting load is investigated using three dimensional finite difference numerical modelling. In the analyses, Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion has been used for the characterisation of the rock mass strength. Stresses acting on the borehole boundary have been simulated by an exponential function which reaches its maximum within a short time and then falls to zero value in a considerable period. The strain rate effect on the mechanical properties of rock material has also been taken into account in the analyses. Different explosive and site conditions have been studied to investigate the effects of loading rate and anisotropic high in situ stresses on blasting performance and blast induced damage zones. Results have shown that the most efficient explosive in rock blasting will be the one with low frequency content but with a sufficiently high borehole wall pressure. In addition, it has been verified that the directions and the magnitudes of major principle stresses affect the development of the crack zone around the borehole. Finally, it has been seen that proposed equation for the dynamic compressive strength of rock material fits very well to general suggestions.

New theory for the rock mass destruction by blasting

To develop a new theory for the rocks destruction by blasting using a description of the formation processes of zones with various mass state around the charging cavity. Methods. The new theory for the rock mass destruction by blasting has been developed based on the use of the well-known elasticity theory laws and the main provisions of the quasi-static-wave hypothesis about the mechanism of a solid medium destruction under the blasting action. The models of zones of crumpling, intensive fragmentation and fracturing that arise around the charging cavity in the rock mass during its blasting destruction, depending on the physical and mechanical properties of the rock mass, the energy characteristics of explosives and the rock pressure impact, have been developed using the technique of mathematical modeling. Findings. Based on the mathematical modeling results of the blasting action in a solid medium, the mathematical models have been developed of the zones of crumpling, intensive fragmentation and fracturing, which are formed around the charging cavity in a monolithic or fractured rock mass. Originality. The rock mass destruction by blasting is realized according to the stepwise patterns of forming the zones of crumpling, intensive fragmentation and fracturing, which takes into account the physical and mechanical properties of the medium, the energy characteristics of explosives and the rock pressure impact. Practical implications. When using the calculation results in the mathematical modeling the radii of the zones of crumpling, intensive fragmentation and fracturing in the rock mass around the charging cavity, it is possible to determine the rational distance between the blasthole charges in the blasting chart, as well as to calculate the line of least resistance for designing huge blasts.

Evidences of the influence of the detonation sequence in rock fragmentation by blasting – Part I

Drilling and blasting are fundamental operations in the mining cycle and constitute an important component of the mining costs. Rock fragmentation can in principle be managed by means of two options: by increasing or reducing the specific consumption of explosives, or by modifying the drilling pattern. The choice of one or other type of control depends on the relationship between the unit costs of drilling and explosives, and on technical restrictions or regulations imposed by different reasons. It is then necessary to identify the link between the blast design and some factors affecting the downstream processing of the product. This paper analyzes the theoretical basis aimed at evaluating the main parameters involved when organizing a production blast in open pit quarries. In particular, a method developed through the analysis of the results in a large number of limestone open pit quarries in Italy is described and commented. The first experimental results in Brazil have been obtained by applying this method at the Experimental Mine of the Research Center of Responsible Mining of the University of São Paulo. Experimental methods and results will be analyzed and discussed in the second part of this paper.

Sensitivity Analysis of Stress and Cracking in Rock Mass Blasting using Numerical Modelling

2020

DOI:10.22044/jme.2020.10033.1939 Drilling and blasting have numerous applications in the civil and mining engineering. Due to the two major components of rock masses, namely the intact rock matrix and the discontinuities, their behavior is a complicated process to be analyzed. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of the geomechanical and geometrical parameters of rock and discontinuities on the rock mass blasting using the UDEC software. To this end, a 2D distinct element code (DEM) code is used to simulate the stress distribution around three blast holes in some points and propagation of the radial cracks caused by blasting. The critical parameters analyzed for this aim include the normal stiffness (JKN) and shear stiffness (JKS), spacing, angle and persistence of joint, shear and bulk modulus, density of rock, and borehole spacing. The results obtained show that the joint parameters and rock modulus have very significant effects, while the rock density has less a...

Investigation of the rock blast fragmentation based on the specific explosive energy and in-situ block size

2018

The assessment of fragmentation through blasting and therefore subsequent crushing and grinding stages is important in order to control and optimize the mining operation. Prediction of the mean size of fragmented rock by the rock mass characteristics, the blasting geometry, the technical parameters and the explosive properties is an important challenge for the blasting engineers. Some of the effective parameters on rock fragmentation have been investigated in several empirical models. A model for fragmentation in bench blasting was developed using the effective parameters on the existing empirical models, so as to propose a simple applicable model to predict X50. The proposed model was calibrated by nonlinear fits to 35 bench blasts in different sites from Sungun copper mine, Akdaglar quarry and Mrica quarry. In order to validate the proposed model, its results were compared to data obtained from six blast sites in Chadormalu iron ore mine and one in Porgera gold mine. The results i...