Optimization of blasting geometry and explosive quantity in control blasting for dimension stone extraction

Abstract

Dimension stone industry is a widespread market in the globe and has shown promising trends for expansion in the recent years. Dimension stones can be defined as, natural stones that have been selected and extracted to produce stones of precise size and shape. Products of dimension stones have been used for construction engineering practices and various other ornamental purposes. The available extraction practices for dimension stones can be categorized mainly into mechanical cutting and splitting techniques. Pre-split blasting is one of the splitting techniques that can be utilized to liberate dimension stone blocks from the rock deposit. The major drawback of utilizing explosive blasting in dimension stone extraction is the possibility of having high amount of wastes as a result of unnecessary fractures from the excessive explosive energy. By studying the relationship between blasting geometry and explosive quantity towards forming fractures in the selected ornamental stone, the aforementioned issue can be addressed to some extent. Software simulations were done to determine the blast design's ideal parameters for achieving an effective explosive energy distribution in the rock mass. Validation of the obtained simulation results through a field blast can be suggested as further development in the study area.