Information Circular 8550: Designing Blast Patterns Using Empirical Formulas: A Comparison of Calculated Patterns with Plans used in Quarrying Limestone and Dolomite, with Geologic Considerations

Details

• Personal Author:
  Pugliese, Joseph M.
• Description:
  This work was done by the Bureau of Mines to provide quarry operators with an uncomplicated, first-approximation method for designing blast patterns, considering geologic structure, and to show the valid use of the technique by comparing drill and blast pattern dimensions used in the quarry with those determined by the presented method. The author visited 12 limestone and dolomite quarries in Ohio (Adams, Crawford, and Highland Counties), Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Racine, and Waukesha Counties), and Minnesota (Fillmore, Olmsted, and Wabasha Counties); observed the blasting practices; studied the major geologic features; and after discussion with the quarry managers, foremen, and blasters, compared the quarry blasting patterns with those as calculated by the empirical formulas (after R. L. Ash), with geologic structural considerations. When geologic structure such as bedding, jointing, folding, and caves, as well as explosive properties and field performance characteristics are accounted for in a manner suggested by the research, the presented empirical formulas may be used as a good first approximation. The included steps in planning a blast design and generalized blast patterns should be of help to the quarry operator. Design changes are recommended for those quarries where problems are occurring. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Geology Minerals Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• Subseries:
  Information Circular
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  Minnesota ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 5 ; Wisconsin
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  40 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:10009418
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB-212507
• Citation:
  NTIS: PB 212 507 :33 pages
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1972
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  NTIS: PB 212 507
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3d321de1c48488f12bba8dec3f1ff67f16234b1f73d698d83ae92bbfdc314c25a74cc3264ddde7feb797253ee8f3ddae9366607bdd4661ed62c5cb749a717ec4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/206249/cdc_206249_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.31 MB ]