Application of TOPSIS method for selecting the most appropriate blast design

Blasting operation should be performed satisfying some criteria, such as fragmentation, flyrock, and cost. To reach the most appropriate alternative among previous performed blast designs, all the criteria should be simultaneously considered in the analysis. To do so, rather new emerging approaches such as Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), a branch of multi-criteria decision-making techniques could be applied. Using TOPSIS method, the present study tries to investigate the blasting operation in the Tajareh limestone mine and select the most appropriate blasting pattern. According to the obtained results, alternative ten with hole diameter of 64 mm and staggered pattern designed by Ash formula, was selected to be the best decision. Application of this alternative comparatively satisfies both fragmentation and flyrock.