COURSE: Blasting for Stable Slopes Short Course

This course will examine the mechanisms and possible extent of damage to the rock structure behind the face from blasting and the influence that has on the stability of pit walls. The course includes consideration of the mechanisms of rock breakage that operate within a blast and considers means of optimising wall damage adjacent to the blast. The influence of burden relief, geological structure and application of field controls to verify the use of design parameters will be stressed. Common techniques of wall control, including pre-splitting, will be detailed.