Blast Performance Analysis using Digital Image Processing Technique – Key to Unlock Productivity in Quarries

Abstract

India's emergence as a major economic hub has ensured steady growth across the nation's mining industry. As a result of strong economic growth, the Indian mining industry increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.8% during the 2008-13 period to a value of more than US$20bn in 2009. With relatively stable growth rates, resilient economic structure and future growth opportunities, India has always been an attractive destination for expansion of activities such as construction, infrastructure and power generation. These activities will always continue to drive the demand for investing on mineral industries. It is well known that a typical economic pie for a mining process indicates that drill and blast accounts for 20% while rest of the operations are seriously affected by it. Rock fragmentation by blasting is of critical economic importance to the mining industries worldwide. A blast can be designed to attempt the elimination of oversized particles or to minimize the amount of fine particles in the muckpile. To optimize the entire system, it is more prudent to attempt a blast design that provides optimum platform for rest of the operations. The authors discuss a case study of limestone and an aggregate stone quarry wherein the studies have been conducted on the blast performance in terms of degree of fragmentation using digital image processing technique.