Investigation into the Blast-Induced Damage in Cut and Fill Stoping Operation

Abstract

The paper presents the results of a comprehensive monitoring carried out to study the extent of blast-induced damage experienced by rockmasses extracted by cut and fill stoping in a manganese mine. Damage is related to strain generated by the blasting and it is found to correlate well with the particle velocity. The particle velocities were measured in the studied mine with seismographs. The attenuation equation for extrapolation of vibration to the near field was derived from the data thus acquired. The site-specific damage model for designing the safe blast parameters was thus devised to minimize the extent of the blast-induced damage to protect the hanging wall, footwall and friable orebody and thus overall improving the stoping environment. The presented work aims at improving the understanding of the influence of blasting on the backfilled area and hard rock in the stoping environment. The damage predicted by different methods and the final strategy for blasting for wall control and productivity are documented in the paper.