• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.421-432
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• 2024

Pre-fracturing, a type of pre-conditioning blast, is a method used to weaken rock masses prior to mechanical excavation. In this study, various laboratory tests were conducted on rock core samples obtained from the field to verify the effectiveness of pre-fracturing in controlling the BIDZ (Blast-Induced Damaged Zone) by measuring the physical properties of rock cores obtained from a test site and assessing changes in these properties. In the EDZ (Excavation Damaged Zone) caused by combined excavation using blasting and mechanical excavation, the effect of blasting is generally more significant than that of mechanical excavation, so BIDZ control directly leads to EDZ control. In terms of Poisson's ratio, elastic wave velocity, porosity, density, thermal conductivity, tensile strength and hydraulic conductivity, the BIDZ size in pre-fracturing was smaller than that of conventional blasting. However, no clear reduction in the BIDZ was observed in the case of Young's modulus and uniaxial compressive strength. By applying a theoretical formula predicting the range of tensile cracks caused by blasting and comparing it with the laboratory results, the BIDZ was reasonably predicted. Nonetheless, limitations in accurately predicting BIDZ size were identified due to assumptions regarding ground conditions and charge density in the formula.