Unlocking Iron Ore by Controlling Environmental Effects Using Advanced Blasting Systems

Abstract

Ground vibration and air over pressure are both undesirable but inevitable by-products of blasting operations. The vibration energy that travels beyond the zone of rock breakage can cause damage to surface structures and annoyance to residents in the vicinity. This paper presents a critical analysis of the observations and results obtained during work done at Joda East Iron Mine, Tata Steel, India, to unlock iron ore using advanced blast modelling and electronic blasting systems for minimizing the environmental effects. The blast patterns were designed after understanding the geology of the area and a Monte Carlo model was used for simulation of the different blast designs to achieve the desired vibration levels.