Design Blast Factors Assessment and its Effect on Rock Fragmentation at Limestone Quarry, Setif, Algeria

Résumé

Blasting outcomes significantly impact all subsequent operations in quarrying and mining. The factors affecting blasting results are categorized as controllable, such as blast geometry and explosive characteristics, or non-controllable, including geological conditions and regulatory requirements. Achieving optimal fragmentation requires careful adjustment of controllable parameters to align with non-controllable parameters. This study analyzed four distinct blast designs by examining the influence of blast design parameters on rock fragmentation. Rock samples from each blast face were tested, and digital images of the resulting muckpiles were processed using WipFrag 3.3 software to assess the fragmentation. Particle size distributions (PSD) were established for each blast, and mean particle fragment sizes (MeanPS) were correlated with the respective blast design parameters. For a gyratory crusher with a 1200 mm feed size, the percentage cumulative passing ranged from 89.1%–100%. The study found strong correlations between MeanPS and factors such as the stiffness ratio and powder factor (PF). Specifically, MeanPS increased with the stiffness ratio (correlation coefficient: 76.13%) and decreased as PF increased (correlation coefficient: 98.74%). Conversely, the spacing-to-burden ratio had a minimal effect on the fragment size. All four-blast events studied produced good fragmentation, with a uniformity index ranging from 1.16 to 1.61. The study concluded that blast design parameters significantly influence rock fragmentation. The stiffness ratio and PF showed a high correlation with MeanPS. Regular assessment and optimization of these parameters can enhance the efficiency and productivity of quarrying operations in the long term.

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