Drilling, Blasting and Machine Excavation - MINE8860

The course will address the mechanics and practical applications and current technologies in rock fragmentation; theories of rock breakage and fragmentation; rock mass properties; structure and discontinuities and their impact on blast behaviour. Blasting theories and types of explosives and blast initiation procedures; blast designs for both underground and surface mining applications; blast hazard management; blast vibration and impact on structures and mining excavations; state-of-the-art blasting practices and technologies; and alternatives to conventional blasting for rock fragmentation. Production drilling methods and equipment, bits and drilling accessories. Principles of coal and rock cutting mechanics; the performance of picks and free rolling cutters; cutting tool interaction; the design of cutting arrays for machine mining and tunnelling; impact breakage of rock; drill bit design and breakage mechanics; cutting tool materials and the effects of wear; methods of assessing rock cuttability; water jet cutting and water jet assisted drilling and cutting. Applications including full face and partial mining machines, drilling technologies and tunnel boring machines will be reviewed.