13.08.2013 Views

Rock Mechanics.pdf - Mining and Blasting

Rock Mechanics.pdf - Mining and Blasting

Rock Mechanics.pdf - Mining and Blasting

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Figure 17.9 Influence of field static<br />

stresses <strong>and</strong> rock stratification on the<br />

development of pre-split fractures.<br />

BLASTING MECHANICS<br />

Thus, emission of the stress wave on detonation of hole B <strong>and</strong> superposition of these<br />

transient boundary stresses imposed by hole A, generates highest tensile stresses at<br />

points I, II. Radial cracks initiate preferentially at points I <strong>and</strong> II. Again, gas pressure<br />

in hole B promotes the development of the initially longest cracks, which are oriented<br />

in the centreline direction.<br />

These two pre-split mechanisms, involving short delay <strong>and</strong> very short delay between<br />

the initiation of adjacent blastholes, have been confirmed experimentally. They<br />

suggest that, for the complete set of blast holes which will form the ultimate surface<br />

of an excavation, effective pre-splitting requires that all pairs of adjacent holes are<br />

initiated with a short delay with respect to one another.<br />

The preceding discussion was concerned with pre-split blasting in isotropic rock<br />

with low field stresses. Real blasting settings underground may involve high in situ<br />

stress <strong>and</strong> stratified or jointed rock.<br />

In Figure 17.9a two adjacent blast holes, members of a set of pre-split holes, are<br />

oriented so that their centreline is perpendicular to the major principal field stress.<br />

The static boundary stresses are a maximum at points c,d,e,f, <strong>and</strong> a minimum at points<br />

g,h,i,j. When either hole initiates, the longest initial cracks will form in the direction<br />

parallel to the major principal field stress, <strong>and</strong> they will propagate preferentially in that<br />

direction under gas pressure. For the case of holes oriented such that the centreline<br />

direction is parallel to the direction of the major principal field stress, as shown in<br />

Figure 17.9b, cracks will initiate preferentially at points g,h,i,j, <strong>and</strong> gas pressure will<br />

promote preferential crack development in the centreline direction. However, the<br />

effect of the minor principal stress is to impede crack development. If the absolute<br />

value of Kp is high relative to the gas pressure developed in the fracture, crack<br />

530

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!