UAV application for blast design and fragmentation analysis

Abstract

With the advancement of various techonlogies during last two decades, processing power of computers and software development, accuracy in Geographical Positioning System (GPS), photogrammetry with high resolution digital camera, cloud computing, application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in mining application is providing benefits. Blasting is one of the critical operation in any excavation system in mining, was dependent on conventional methods of analysis till new technologies made in-roads in last few decades period. Digitised Terrain Models (DTM) are developed based on images captured of mine terrain and mine faces(as a part of pre-blast and post-blast situations). With mobile phone application vis-a-vis App based, real charge per hole, 2D/3D view of borehole patterns, geometric paramters, real coordinates of blast location and boreholes and presence of water in individual borehole can be recorded. For measurement of blast fragmentation, UAV is flown on blasted muckpile with video recording of images. Blast fragmentation photographs are analysed using image analysis software. Photographs are useful to calculate blasted rock volume. This paper describes two case studies. In one of aggregate (granite) quarry in Malaysia, with the help of UAV aerial phographs were obtained to identify rock types and geological structures which improved blast design. In another case study, in photgrapghs of blasted muckpile are taken manually in limestone quarry. Results of blast fragmentation prediction by software Vs image analysis are discussed in this paper.