Comparison and application of top and bottom air decks to improve blasting operations

Masoud Monjezi; Hamed Amiri; Mir Naser Seyed Mousavi; Jafar Khademi Hamidi; Manoj Khandelwal; Masoud Monjezi; Hamed Amiri; Mir Naser Seyed Mousavi; Jafar Khademi Hamidi; Manoj Khandelwal

doi:10.3934/geosci.2023002

AIMS Geosciences

2023, Volume 9, Issue 1: 16-33. doi: 10.3934/geosci.2023002

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Research article

Comparison and application of top and bottom air decks to improve blasting operations

1.
Department of Mining Engineering, Tarbiat Modaras University, Tehran, 14115-143, Iran
2.
Institute of Innvovation, Science and Sustainability, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, VIC 3350, Australia

Received: 19 January 2022 Revised: 01 August 2022 Accepted: 12 August 2022 Published: 04 November 2022

The blasting operation is an integral part of mines, and it is still being used as the most economical tool to fragment and displace rock mass. Appropriate blast optimization alleviates undesirable side effects, such as ground vibration, air blasts and flyrock, and it and enhances rock fragmentation. Blast optimization can also be effective in reducing the overall mining cost. One way of reducing blasting side effects is to use deck charges instead of continuous ones. The location of the deck(s) is still considered an unanswered question for many researchers. In this study, an investigation was carried out to find an appropriate air deck position(s) within the blast hole. For this, air decks were placed at three different positions (top, middle and bottom) within a blast hole at Cheshmeh-Parvar gypsum and Chah-Gaz iron ore mines to understand and evaluate air deck location impact on blast fragmentation and blast nuisances. The results were compared based on the existing blasting practices at both mines, as well as the air-deck blasting results. The results obtained from the blasting were very satisfactory; it was found that charging with a top air deck, as compared to current blasting practices, causes a decrement in the specific charge, as well as a decrement of 38% in the back break and 50% in flyrock; the average size of fragments obtained from blasting was increased by 26%. Thus, it can be said that the top air deck is more advantageous than the bottom air deck in terms of reducing undesired blasting consequences.
- surface mines,
- air deck,
- blasting,
- fragmentation,
- blast nuisances
Citation: Masoud Monjezi, Hamed Amiri, Mir Naser Seyed Mousavi, Jafar Khademi Hamidi, Manoj Khandelwal. Comparison and application of top and bottom air decks to improve blasting operations[J]. AIMS Geosciences, 2023, 9(1): 16-33. doi: 10.3934/geosci.2023002

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Abstract

The blasting operation is an integral part of mines, and it is still being used as the most economical tool to fragment and displace rock mass. Appropriate blast optimization alleviates undesirable side effects, such as ground vibration, air blasts and flyrock, and it and enhances rock fragmentation. Blast optimization can also be effective in reducing the overall mining cost. One way of reducing blasting side effects is to use deck charges instead of continuous ones. The location of the deck(s) is still considered an unanswered question for many researchers. In this study, an investigation was carried out to find an appropriate air deck position(s) within the blast hole. For this, air decks were placed at three different positions (top, middle and bottom) within a blast hole at Cheshmeh-Parvar gypsum and Chah-Gaz iron ore mines to understand and evaluate air deck location impact on blast fragmentation and blast nuisances. The results were compared based on the existing blasting practices at both mines, as well as the air-deck blasting results. The results obtained from the blasting were very satisfactory; it was found that charging with a top air deck, as compared to current blasting practices, causes a decrement in the specific charge, as well as a decrement of 38% in the back break and 50% in flyrock; the average size of fragments obtained from blasting was increased by 26%. Thus, it can be said that the top air deck is more advantageous than the bottom air deck in terms of reducing undesired blasting consequences.

References

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