Effects of Rock Mass Conditions and Blasting Standard on Fragmentation Size at Limestone Quarries

Takashi Sasaoka^1*, Yoshiaki Takahashi¹, Wahyudi Sugeng¹, Akihiro Hamanaka², Hideki Shimada¹, Kikuo Matsui¹, Shiro Kubota³

¹Department of Earth Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
²Center of Environmental Science and Disaster Mitigation for Advanced Research, Muroran Institute Technology, Muroran, Japan.
³National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ibaraki, Japan.

DOI: 10.4236/ojg.2015.55030                

Abstract

The size distribution of fragmented rocks depends on not only the blasting standard but also the mechanical properties, joint system and crack density of rock mass. As, especially, the cracks in the rock mass are heavily developed at the limestone quarries in Japan, the joints and/or cracks in the rock mass have big impacts on the blasting effects such as the size of fragmented rocks. Therefore, if the joint system and/or crack density in the rock mass can be known and evaluated in quantity, the blasting operation can be done more effectively, efficiency and safety. However, the guideline for designing the appropriate blasting standard based on the rock mass condition such as mechanical properties, joint system and/or distribution of cracks, discontinuities, from the scientific point of view, has not been developed yet. Therefore, a series of blasting tests had been conducted in different mines and faces, geological conditions and blasting standards in order to know the impacts of each factor on the blasting effects. This paper summarizes the results of blasting tests and describes the impacts of rock mass conditions and blasting standard on the size of fragmented rocks.

Keywords

Fragmentation, Borehole Camera, Mechanical Properties of Rock Mass, Crack Density, Blasting Standard

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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