MODEL FOR ESTIMATING BLASTED ROCK FRAGMENTATION

References: 14th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2014, www.sgem.org, SGEM2014 Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7105-09-4 / ISSN 1314-2704, June 19-25, 2014, Book 1, Vol. 3, 379-386 pp

ABSTRACT
Estimation of blasted rock fragmentation is of great importance in hard rock mining. There are many, mostly empirical or semi-empirical, models for its estimation. New theoretical model for estimating fragmentation of blasted rock is proposed in this paper. Model is based on theoretical research in rock breakage by explosives. Conducted research resulted in new rock breakage theory that made possibility of estimating tension crack density and radii of fragmenting zones. Utilizing these theoretical results with assumption that prior blasting quasi-isometric fragments are formed it is explained how blasted rock fragmentation could be estimated. Also, it is shown how structural properties of rock mass impact rock blasting and its fragmentation. Example is given, at the end of the paper, where it is explained how rock fragmentation could be estimated using geometrical analysis.

Keywords: Rock blasting, blasted rock fragmentation, rock breakage by explosives, pwave