Theory and Practice of Air-Deck Blasting in Mines and Surface Excavations: A Review |
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Authors: | J C Jhanwar |
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Affiliation: | (1) Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research Regional Centre, 3rd Floor, MECL Building, Seminary Hills, Nagpur, 440006, India |
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Abstract: | The mechanism by which the explosive energy is transferred to the surrounding rock mass is changed in air-deck blasting. It
allows the explosive energy to act repeatedly in pulses on the surrounding rock mass rather than instantly as in the case
of concentrated charge blasting. The air-deck acts as a regulator, which first stores energy and then releases it in separate
pulses. The release of explosion products in the air gap causes a decrease in the initial bore hole pressure and allows oscillations
of shock waves in the air gap. The performance of an air-deck blast is basically derived from the expansion of gaseous products
and subsequent multiple interactions between shock waves within an air column, shock waves and stemming base and shock waves
and hole bottom. This phenomenon causes repeated loading on the surrounding rock mass by secondary shock fronts for a prolonged
period. The length of air column and the rock mass structure are critical to the ultimate results. Several attempts have been
made in the past to study the mechanism of air-deck blasting and to investigate its effects on blast performance but a clear
understanding of the underlying mechanism and the physical processes to explain its actual effects is yet to emerge. In the
absence of any theoretical basis, the air-deck blast designs are invariably carried out by the rules of thumb. The field trials
of this technique in different blast environments have demonstrated its effectiveness in routine production blasting, pre-splitting
and controlling over break and ground vibrations etc. The air-deck length appropriate to the different rock masses and applications
need to be defined more explicitly. It generally ranges between 0.10 and 0.30 times the original charge length. Mid column
air-deck is preferred over the top and bottom air-decks. Top air-deck is used especially in situations, which require adequate
breakage in the stemming region. The influence of air-deck location within the hole on blast performance also requires further
studies. This paper reviews the status of knowledge on the theory and practice of air-deck blasting in mines and surface excavations
and brings out the areas for further investigation in this technique of blasting. |
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