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Rock Mechanics.pdf - Mining and Blasting

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Figure 17.10 Penultimate stage in<br />

the execution of a smoothing blast,<br />

<strong>and</strong> the mechanism of control of fracture<br />

development by the local boundary<br />

stress.<br />

PERIMETER BLASTING<br />

propagation will be prevented. It is concluded that pre-split blasting will show variable<br />

results in a stressed medium, depending on the orientation of adjacent pairs of holes<br />

relative to the field stresses, <strong>and</strong> that the process becomes less effective as the field<br />

stresses increase. The practical consequence is that pre-splitting may be successful<br />

in near surface development work, but at even moderate depth, it may be completely<br />

ineffective.<br />

In stratified rock, the rock fabric is populated by micro-cracks, oriented parallel to<br />

the visible texture. Considering the single blast hole shown in Figure 17.9c, drilled<br />

in the plane of stratification, the preferred direction of crack development is parallel to<br />

the stratification, exploiting the natural micro-structure as guide cracks. The general<br />

consequence is that pre-split fractures may develop in any anisotropic rock parallel to<br />

a dominant fabric element. Fracture development perpendicular to the fabric element<br />

may be difficult or practically impossible.<br />

17.6.2 Smooth blasting<br />

Smooth blasting practice involves the development of the ultimate surface of the<br />

excavation by controlled blasting in the vicinity of a penultimate free face. Holes are<br />

initiated with short delay between adjacent holes, <strong>and</strong> the burden on holes exceeds<br />

the spacing.<br />

The mechanics of smooth blasting may be understood by examining the local<br />

state of stress around the penultimate boundary of the excavation. The situation is<br />

illustrated in Figure 17.10a. It has been noted, in Chapters 7–9, that the design of<br />

an opening should achieve a compressive state of stress in the excavation boundary<br />

<strong>and</strong> adjacent rock. Considering a typical perimeter blast hole near the free face,<br />

shown in Figure 17.10b, the local stress field is virtually uniaxial <strong>and</strong> directed parallel<br />

to the penultimate surface. This generates tensile boundary stresses around the<br />

blast hole at points a,b, <strong>and</strong> compressive stresses at points c,d. Thus, the stress wave<br />

emitted by detonation of the charge in the hole initiates radial fractures at points<br />

a,b, <strong>and</strong> these propagate preferentially parallel to the local major field stress. Both<br />

these factors favour generation of fractures parallel to the penultimate surface of the<br />

excavation.<br />

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