Blast Design for Underground Mining: Technical Optimization, Safety, and Impact Control

Guevara Vásquez K.V.; Luque Luque E.O. · Proceedings of the LACCEI international Multi-conference for Engineering, Education and Technology (2026) · DOI: 10.18687/laccei2026.1.1.1792

Resumen

This study evaluates three underground blasting designs, namely V-cut, Burn cut, and Parallel cut, applied to fractured andesite, compact limestone, and hard granodiorite, with the aim of determining the most efficient and safest blasting pattern. The research integrated rock mass geomechanical characterization, three-dimensional simulation using JKSimBlast, and instrumented field tests for monitoring blast vibrations and post-blast gases. The results showed that the Burn cut, combined with electronic detonators, achieved the best overall performance, recording D80 fragmentation values of 18.6 cm in fractured andesite, 16.2 cm in compact limestone, and 19.7 cm in hard granodiorite, as well as a real advance of 2.20 m per blast, an efficiency of 92%, an average overbreak of 15 cm, and a peak particle velocity of 5.4 mm/s. In addition, this design showed better post-blast conditions, with maximum concentrations of 70 ppm of CO and 14 ppm of NOx, and a ventilation time of 30 min. It is concluded that the integration of digital modeling, geometric optimization, and electronic initiation significantly improves the efficiency, safety, and operational control of underground blasting activities.

Instituciones: Universidad Privada del Norte