Contributions to Underground Drift Blasting

Research output: ThesisDoctoral Thesis

Authors

Abstract

The significance of underground blasting has raised a lot in the last two decades, as it is not only used anymore in mines or tunnels that are far away from populated areas but is done in or under rural structures and buildings, as the society asks for better infrastructure, specially in cities. Going underground is there sometimes the only way to provide more space and better infrastructure. The excavation with means of blasting still incorporates a lot of problems and unsolved issues. This thesis provides solutions and new findings for three of these areas. It shows the results of numerous underground fume measurements where it could be proofed that ammonia in the blasting fumes is not a result of the detonation process, but is formed after the detonation due to a reaction of undetonated explosives with water. The second part presents a product development, which is a smooth blasting system for bulk emulsion explosives. During the thesis the idea of the invention was picked up, a preliminary design done, many prototypes built and brought to the final product, ready for the market. The use of the Cont-Blast system will reduce support costs, result in more stable drift walls, allow for a faster advance and will enhance safe working underground. As a final part of this thesis the vibrations in the near field from underground blasting, specially cut blasting, were detailed researched. For that purpose a new measurement device for in-hole acceleration measurements near blasts was built. Two cut designs were compared regarding their resulting vibrations. It was found that no big difference between them was visible and that it seems that in the near field the surrounding geology plays a more important role regarding wave transmission than the cut design itself.

Details

Translated title of the contributionBeiträge zum untertägigen Streckenvortrieb mittels Sprengtechnik
Original languageEnglish
QualificationDr.mont.
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Sanchidrián, José Angel, Assessor B (external), External person
  • Moser, Peter, Assessor A (internal)
Publication statusPublished - 2010