Controlling of the Environmental Effects of Air Shock Wave Due to Blasting In Quarry Mines

Abstract

This paper presents controlling the environmental effects of air shock waves due to blasting in quarry mines.  The aim of this study is to predict the air overpressure due to blasting, in order to protect the dwelling area adjacent to the quarry. Prediction of air overpressure is important for mine operators who utilize blasting to ensure their blasts will not cause damage to nearby structures and stay within regulatory limits. Airblast is dependent on the size of the blast and air shock wave magnitude is dependent on how far away from the blast a recording device is located. Air shock waves are an integral part of the process of rock blasting and consequently, they are unavoidable. In this paper, important and widely used empirical formulae have been used to predict the air overpressure for quarry mines. Moreover, a comparative analysis between the results obtained for a constant charge per delay of 100 kg, and monitoring distance of 20 m, 30 m, and 40 m were carried out to select the suitable empirical formula. The paper concludes with the guidelines for applying the air overpressure wave based on the various distances and amount of charges per delay.