Unlocking Possibility of Blasting near Residential Structure Using Electronic Detonators

Abstract

Ever since development of human civilization, mining and agriculture has been the backbone of growth. Today the most developed countries of the world are the ones focused on core economical development, be it power generation, steel making, oil and gas production, or agriculture. Mining has been gaining importance over the years both from the economic perspective and as an area of sustained research. With the advent of globalization, things have changed very fast and today it is an industry that is driving the economies of several nations. Global competition has propelled countries to reach higher production levels through better techniques of drilling and blasting, excavation and mineral processing. We now have bigger and faster drill machines and excavators. In Explosives technology too significant progress has been made towards having safer explosives and accurate initiating systems that have increased overall control over blasting in terms of vibration, fragmentation, throw, fly rock and overall blast economics.

Explosives and Rock Blasting Technology has advanced so much in the last few decades that blasting can now be precisely performed, controlled and predicted. Development of new tools like electronic blasting systems and advanced simulation software has made it possible to customize blasting results as per requirement. These developments have helped mining engineer worldwide in reaping huge productivity benefits besides making it possible to meet the environmental norms even in most demanding conditions.

Inability to blast large size shots on account of proximity of mines to human habitation have always constrained mine management in fully leveraging the strength of large size production equipments. Mine managers have been forced to conduct small blasts on increased frequency to provide feed to large capacity shovels while compromising on Shovel productivity on account of undesirable movement of shovels during blasting. This paper deals with a case study at SEB quarry of Tata Steel wherein it was difficult to fire a big blast due to existing nearby structures. A critical scientific study was conducted before successfully firing of one of the biggest shot of 83 tonnes in the history of quarry. The paper discusses the issues being faced, alternate solutions opted and the final outcome.