• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2000.03b
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• pp.133-140
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• 2000

Drilling and blasting method for excavating rock mass is generally used in underground construction; but this technique has some shortcomings. For instance, rock mass damage is inevitable during drilling and blasting, and blast-induced vibration frequently causes some problems. Until now, field measurement method is used to predict the overbreak and vibration; but it has many limitations. Therefore, numerical analysis method is needed to overcome such limitations, and to estimate and predict damage and vibration due to tunnel blasting in the design stage. In this study, damage zone of rock mass due to stoping and contour blasting is compared based on standard tunnel blasting pattern, and the propriety of the standard tunnel blasting pattern is estimated. Then, blasting pattern is optimized so that the damage zone due to sloping blasting with reduced charge is consistent with that due to contour blasting.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2023

Rock disturbance caused by blasting and stress relaxation is commonly observed during excavation. As the distance from the source of disturbance increases, the degree of disturbance decreases, and rock at a large depth does not experience disturbance. However, in stability analyses, a single value of disturbance is often applied to the entire rock mass, which leads to underestimated results. In this study, this modeling mistake is addressed by considering realistically varying rock disturbance. The safety of infinite slopes in a disturbed rock mass with a strength governed by the Hoek-Brown failure criterion is investigated based on the kinematic approach of limit analysis. The maximum disturbance is assigned to the outermost slope face because it is directly exposed to blasting damage and dilation, and the disturbance progressively decays with distance in the rock mass. The safety analysis results indicate that the assumption of uniform disturbance in the entire rock mass leads to underestimation of the rock strength and safety on infinite rock slopes. A critical slip surface appears to be within the disturbed rock layer as well as the interface between the disturbed upper rock and undisturbed lower rock.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2006

Building tunnels means dealing with what rock is encountered. Relocation of the site of the underground structure is rarely possible. Tunneling engineers and miners have to cope with the quality of the rock mass as it is. Different tunneling philosophies and different rock classification methods have been developed in various countries. Most of the rock classification methods are based on the response of the rock mass to the excavation. Tunnel support requirements could be assessed analytically, supplemented by rock mass classification predictions, and verified by measurements during construction. Rock mass classifications on their own should only be used for preliminary, planning purposes and not for final tunnel support. Design of blast pattern in tunneling projects in Korea is also mostly prepared according to the general rock classification methods such as RMR or Q. They, however, do not take into account the blast performance, and as a consequence, produce poor blasting results. In this paper, the methods of general rock classification and blast design for tunnel excavation in Korea are reviewed, and efforts to develop a new classification method, reflecting the blasting performance, are presented.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.329-344
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• 2015

Cratering tests in rock are generally carried out to identify its fragmentation characteristics. The test results can be used to estimate the minimum amount of explosives required for the target volume of rock fragmentation. However, it is not easy to perform this type of test due to its high cost and difficulty in securing the test site with the same ground conditions as the site where blasting is to be performed. Consequently, this study investigates the characteristics of rock fragmentation by using the hydrocode in the platform of AUTODYN. The effectiveness of the numerical models adopted are validated against several cratering test results available in the literature, and the effects of rock mass classification and ground formation on crater size are examined. The numerical analysis shows that the dimension of a crater is increased with a decrease in rock quality, and the formation of a crater is highly dependent on a rock of lowest quality in the case of mixed ground. It is expected that the results of the present study can also be applied to the estimation of the level and extent of the damage induced by blasting in concrete structures.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.37-42
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• 2003

The source of rock breakage by explosive blasting is the energy released from an explosive. It is transmitted to the surrounding rock mass causing various types of fracture of rock material. The reaction of explosives and the resulting action on the surrounding rock mass are completed in very short tine, making it almost impossible to observe the processes occurring in the interior of the rock mass. In this study several input parameters are investigated by numerical modelling of blast source and dynamic response of rock mass. It is shown that damping coefficient and rising time are major parameters affecting dynamics response of rock mass.

• 지반과기술
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.15-22
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• 2006

The optimum blasting pattern to excavate a quarry efficiently and economically can be determined based on the minimum production cost, which is generally estimated according to rock fragmentation. Therefore, it is a critical problem to predict fragment size distribution of blasted rocks over an entire quarry. By comparing various prediction models, it can be ascertained that the result obtained from Kuz-Ram model relatively coincides with that of field measurements. Kuz-Ram model uses the concept of rock factor to signify conditions of rock mass such as block size, rock jointing, strength and others. For the evaluation of total production cost, it is imperative to estimate 3-D spatial distribution of rock factor for the entire quarry. In this study, a sequential indicator simulation technique is adopted for estimation of spatial distribution of rock factor due to its higher reproducibility of spatial variability and distribution models than Kriging methods. Further, this can reduce the uncertainty of predictor using distribution information of sample data. The entire quarry is classified into three types of rock mass and optimum blasting pattern is proposed for each type based on 3-D spatial distribution of rock factor. In addition, plane maps of rock factor distribution for each ground level are provided to estimate production costs for each process and to make a plan for an optimum blasting pattern.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1-10
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• 2003

The classification of weak rocks is normally connected with the rippability classifications. The excavation of rock is frequently carried out by blasting. A classification of the weak rocks by test blasting with small quantity of explosives was attempted in the present study. The crater ratio and blasting constant that resoled from test blasting were used as a e parameter of the classification. The seismic velocity of rock mass and Protodyakonov's index were also applied for the also rock classification.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.102-107
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• 1997

Ground vibrations are an integral part of the process of rock blasting. The sudden acceleration of the rock by the detonation gas pressure acting on the drillhole walls induces dynamic stresses in the surrounding rock mass. This sets up a wave motion in the ground much like the motion in a bowl of jelly when disturbed by the action of a spoon. The wave motion spreads concentrically from the blasting site, particularly along the ground surface, and is therefore attenuated, since its fixed energy is spread over a greater and greater mass of material as it moves away from its origin. Some theoretical aspects of the generation and propagation of vibrations produced in rock blasting are analyzed; although it must be indicated that this is just a mere approximation to the problem, as the actual phenomena are much more complex owing to the interaction of different types of waves and their modifying mechanics.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.6 s.65
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• pp.476-485
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• 2006

During blasting, both shock wave and gas are generated in detonation process of explosives and the generated wave and gas expansion may create new fractures and damage rock mass. In order to explain and understand completely the fracture mechanism by blasting, we have to consider both effects of the wave and gas expansion simultaneously. In this study, we use a discrete element code, PFC2D and develop an algorithm which is capable of modeling both detonation and gas pressures acting on blasthole wall and visualizing generated cracks within rock mass. Moreover, the gas-pressure modeling method which applies a corresponding external force of gas pressure to parent particles of radial fractures is adopted to simulate a coopting between rock mass and gas penetrating created radial fractures. The developed algorithm is verified by reproducing numerical simulations of a lab-scale test blast successfully.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.33-43
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• 2008

The techniques for measuring the bulking factor of rock mass in subsidence area have never been well known all over the world. The volumetric expansion ratios obtained from blasting operation were the only way of acquiring the bulking factor of rock mass. The bulking factor of rock mass obtained from blasting operation, however, has been seldom classified in a certain criterion. Also the bulking factor of rock mass can be very dependent upon rock types. In order to overcome this limitation obtained from these reasons, the authors studied the experimental bulking factor of rock mass according to the stacking shapes as well as the overburden stresses. Gneiss, limestone and shale were chosen for testing specimens, and each bulking factor has been measured with laboratory test of applying a constant load on the fragmented rock specimens.