Holistic Approach to Define the Blast Design in Quarrying

Abstract

A new approach to determine the most efficient blast design was proposed, taking the peak particle velocity (PPV) as the main constraint, while including costs, production, granulometry, air blast and carbon footprint as relevant characteristics. The research was based on a case study that registered and analyzed 548 blasts over more than 10 years, while the vibration of the blast was recorded in 32% of them. A general attenuation law and several local laws were determined based on the geological conditions of the quarry. The blast design improvement allowed one to reduce the specific consumption by almost 30%, 26% of the blast cost in terms of explosive consumption and 18% of the CO2 emissions. This allowed for the achievement of a more environmentally friendly extraction system while complying with the legal standards, the quality requirements and the production and productivity conditions established.