Modern Underground Blasting Methods

Underground mining and construction projects face several challenges unique to the underground environment compared to the surface environment. The goals are the development of an effective blast pattern that minimizes cost, maximizes face advance, and provides the desired fragmentation and face profile. In addition to these goals, mines must consider the very real operational problems that occur, such as drill deviation, ground vibration, and dead pressing or sympathetic detonation of explosives. For these reasons, the authors are working with Engineering & Mining Journal (E&MJ) to bring an article series to the readers to aid in the design and optimization of underground blasting practices. The burn cut is one of the older forms of underground blasting, where a part of the blast (the burn) of a shot is heavily load- ed with additional empty (relief) holes with the goal of smashing (aka burn) and pushing/blowing all the material in the burn out to provide relief for subsequent blastholes.