Evaluation and optimization of blasting approaches to reducing oversize boulders and toes in open-pit mine

A new blasting approach of combined blastholes with different diameters is proposed to solve the problems of oversize boulders and rock toes in open-pit mine. A non-ideal detonation model and a statistical damage constitutive model are implemented in dynamic finite element analysis to investigate the formation mechanism of oversize boulders and toes. The damage distribution and evolution process of rock blasting fragmentation is simulated, and the scheme is further optimized. Numerical analysis results showed that pocket charges and satellite blastholes can only improve bench top fragmentation, but they cannot reduce the oversize in the middle and bottom of bench as well as the toe problem. The new blasting approach of combined blastholes with different diameters can effectively reduce the oversize boulders and toes as well as the production costs.