Decreasing the risk of rockbursts by controlled blasting

Abstract

Rockbursts are violent and sudden ruptures of bedrock and can cause serious, and often fatal, injuries in the mining sector. Rockbursts are dependent on the stress exerted on the rock, which increases with depth. Mining companies are exploiting increasing deeper deposits. Controlled blasting consists of breaking up the rock by shaped charges to decrease the stress at critical places, thereby reducing the risks inherent in blasting. This approach is not taken as often as it could be, however. This project will compile and catalogue all information on the approach and present it in manual form with controlled-blasting design software to increase the technique's effectiveness and facilitate its implementation by mining engineers.

Produced Under this Project

Scientific Publications

Tunnel face destressing in burst-prone rock
Mitri H. S., Tang B., Marwan J., Comeau W.
Source :
Canadian Tunnelling Journal, vol. 142, 2001, p.131, 142
Evaluation of Crown Pillar Burst Potential in Cut-and-Fill Vein Mining
Mitri H. S., Marwan J., Tang B.
Source :
in Proceedings of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy / AusIMM, vol 306, no 1, 2001, p 13-19
Numerical modelling of rock preconditioning by destress blasting
Tang B., Mitri H. S.
Source :
Journal of Ground Improvement, Vol.5, no 2, 2001, p. 57-67
Destress blasting in high horizontal stress environment
Tang B., Mitri H. S., Marwan J.
Source :
in Pacific Rocks. Liebman, Breeds, Doe (eds). Rotterdam, Balkema, 2000, p. 335-342
Tunnel face destressing in burst-prone rock
Mitri H. S., Tang B., Marwan J., Comeau W.
Source :
In Proceedings of the 16th Annual Conference of the Tunnelling Association of Canada / TAC(16th : 2001), 2001, p. 165-174.
3-Dimensional Modelling of Destress Blasting
Tang B., Mitri H. S., Comeau W., Mohammed M. M.
Source :
in Proceedings of the 2nd South African Rock Engineering Symposium, SARES'99 (2nd : 13-15 September 1999 : Johannesburg, South Africa), 1999, p. 287-296
A Simple methodology for the assessment of strainburst potential in hard rock mines
Mitri H. S., Tang B., Comeau W., Mohammed M. M.
Source :
in Design and Construction in Mining, Petroleum and Civil Engineering :ISRM Regional Symposium. da Silva, R. et al.(eds). (s.l.), ISRM, 1998, p. 163-168
World-wide survey of destress blasting practice in deep hard rock mines
Comeau W., Mitri H. S., Mohammed M., Tang B.
Source :
in Proceedings of the 25th Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique / ISEE (25th : February 4-7, 1999 : Nashville, Tennessee), 1999, p. 189-205

Additional Information

Type: Project

Number: 0095-0360

Status: Completed

Year of completion: 2001

Research Field: Mechanical and Physical Risk Prevention

Team:

Hani S. Mitri (Université McGill)