Research Information System
ARCHIVES OF MINING SCIENCES, vol.58, no.1, pp.241-253, 2013 (SCI-Expanded)
There are many factors that determine the size distribution of blast heap fragments. The most important factors are the type and amount of explosive material used and the blast design. However, the geological nature of the work area is also an important parameter. In particular, parameters such as the location and frequency of discontinuities affect the size distribution of heap fragments. The general conclusion reached through laboratory and field studies on discontinuities is that the orientation of the discontinuity and the fillings between the discontinuities determine the blast results. This study presents a numerical model that can be used to determine the relationship between the interval and orientation of discontinuities and blast efficiency. Twelve blast experiments were performed at two quarries to develop a numerical model. The data from the field studies were used as input in the numerical model, and the relationship between the discontinuities and fragment size distribution is investigated in this paper.