Advanced blast modelling and geotechnical analysis tools

This project was part of a renewed effort to bridge the gap between blasting and geotechnical engineering in surface coal mining, and supports the implementation of best practices in drilling and blasting. After the successful completion of project C28041, which introduced a protocol to link floor disruption outcomes with low wall slope stability analysis, this project aimed to further validate its outcomes and support the development of practical guidelines to help practitioners evaluate the potential extent of weak layer disruption from a pre-defined set of blast design parameters.

This project included the following stages of work:

• Revision of previous data and improvements in disrupted zone integration protocols for slope stability modelling;
• Evaluation of weak layer disruption through comprehensive slope stability analysis using FLAC3D;
• Calibration of blast movement modelling with new mine-based data and implementation of virtual experiments using VBOC to understand the effect of practical design parameters and layer characteristics on disruption outcomes; and
• Development of guidelines to define practical design parameters to improve floor disruption practices.

The main findings of the project are within:

• Floor disruption and low wall stability analysis;
• Multi parametric analysis of blast disruption modelling; and
• A proposed practical guide to define and evaluate blast disruption parameters.