Assessing the range of blasting-induced cracks in the surrounding rock of deeply buried tunnels based on the unified strength theory

Blasting-induced cracks in the rock surrounding deeply buried tunnels can result in water gushing and rock mass collapse,posing significant safety risks.However,previous theoretical studies on the range of blasting-induced cracks often ignore the impact of the in-situ stress,especially that of the intermediate principal stress.The particle displacement−crack radius relationship was established in this paper by utilizing the blasthole cavity expansion equation,and theoretical analytical formulas of the stress−displacement relationship and the crack radius were derived with unified strength theory to accurately assess the range of cracks in deep surrounding rock under a blasting load.Parameter analysis showed that the crushing zone size was positively correlated with in-situ stress,intermediate principal stress,and detonation pressure,whereas negatively correlated with Poisson ratio and decoupling coefficient.The dilatancy angle-crushing zone size relationship exhibited nonmonotonic behavior.The relationships in the crushing zone and the fracture zone exhibited opposite trends under the influence of only in-situ stress or intermediate principal stress.As the in-situ stress increased from 0 to 70 MPa,the rate of change in the crack range and the attenuation rate of the peak vibration velocity gradually slowed.

Monitoring and Prediction of the Vibration Intensity of Seismic Waves Induced in Underwater Rock by Underwater Drilling and Blasting

All underwater drilling and blasting operations generate seismic waves.However,due to a lack of suitable vibration sensing instruments,most studies on the propagation of seismic waves have been limited to shorelines near construction areas or wharfs,whereas comparatively few studies have beerconducted on the larger seafloor itself.To address this gap,a seafloor vibration sensor system was developed and applied in this study that consists of an autonomous acquisition storage terminal,soft-ware platform,and hole-plugging device that was designed to record the blasting vibration intensities received through submarine rocks at a given measurement point.Additionally,dimensional analyses were used to derive a predictive equation for the strength of blast vibrations that considered the in fluence of the water depth.By combining reliable vibration data obtained using the sensor system in submarine rock and the developed predictive equation,it was determined that the water depth was ar important factor influencing the measured vibration strength.The results using the newly derivedequation were compared to those determined using the Sadowski equation,which is commonly used on land,and it was found that predictions using the derived equation were closer to the experimental values with an average error of less than 10%,representing a significant improvement.Based on these results the developed sensor system and preliminary theoretical basis was deemed suitable for studying the propagation behavior of submarine seismic waves generated by underwater drilling and blasting operations.

Monitoring and analysis of shock wave in water for underwater drilling blasting

Taking the underwater reef blasting in Gulei sea channel of Xiamen Port as an example,the forming characteristic of shock wave in water for underwater drilling blasting is analyzed.By field monitoring,the pressure of shock wave in water for different distances is attained;the major parameters such as pressure amplitude and positive action time,and the propagation attenuation rule of shock wave in water are analyzed in this paper.The results can be helpful for engineering design and construction and environmental safety assessment.

Measurement-while-drilling technique and its scope in design and prediction of rock blasting

With rampant growth and improvements in drilling technology, drilling of blast holes should no longer be viewed as an arduous sub-process in any mining or excavation process. Instead, it must be viewed as an important opportunity to quickly and accurately measure the geo-mechanical features of the rock mass on-site, much in advance of the downstream operations. It is well established that even the slightest variation in lithology, ground conditions, blast designs vis-a-vis geologic features and explosives performance, results in drastic changes in fragmentation results. Keeping in mind the importance of state-of-the-art measurement-while-drilling （MWD） technique, the current paper focuses on integrating this technique with the blasting operation in order to enhance the blasting designs and results. The paper presents a preliminary understanding of various blasting models, blastability and other related concepts, to review the state-of-the-art advancements and researches done in this area. In light of this, the paper highlights the future needs and implications on drill monitoring systems for improved information to enhnnrp th~ hl^tin~ r^HIt~

Double-face intelligent hole position planning method for precision blasting in roadways using a computer-controlled drill jumbo

To solve the uneven burden of same-type holes reducing the blasting efficiency due to the limitation of drilling equipment,we need a double-face program-controlled planning method for hole position parameters used on a computer-controlled drilling jumbo.The cross-section splits into even and uneven areas.It also considers the uneven burden at the hole’s entrance and bottom.In the uneven area,various qualifying factors are made to optimize the hole spacing and maximize the burden uniformity,combined with the features of the area edges and gridbased segmentation methods.The hole position coordinates and angles in the even area are derived using recursion and iteration algorithms.As a case,this method presents all holes in a 4.8 m wide and 3.6 m high cross-section.Compared with the design produced by the drawing method,our planning in the uneven area improved the standard deviation of the hole burden by 40%.The improved hole layout facilitates the evolution of precise,efficient,and intelligent blasting in underground mines.

Typical Underwater Tunnels in the Mainland of China and Related Tunneling Technologies

In the past decades, many underwater tunnels have been constructed in the mainland of China, and great progress has been made in related tunneling technologies. This paper presents the history and state of the art of underwater tunnels in the mainland of China in terms of shield-bored tunnels, drill-and-blast tunnels, and immersed tunnels. Typical underwater tunnels of these types in the mainland of China are described, along with innovative technologies regarding comprehensive geological prediction, grouting-based consolidation, the design and construction of large cross-sectional tunnels with shallow cover in weak strata, cutting tool replacement under limited drainage and reduced pressure conditions, the detection and treatment of boulders, the construction of underwater tunnels in areas with high seismic intensity, and the treatment of serious sedimentation in a foundation channel of immersed tunnels. Some suggestions are made regarding the three potential great strait-crossing tunnels-the Qiongzhou Strait-Crossing Tunnel, Bohai Strait-Crossing Tunnel, and Taiwan Strait-Crossing Tunnel--and issues related to these great strait-crossing tunnels that need further study are proposed.

Intelligent classification model of surrounding rock of tunnel using drilling and blasting method

Classification of surrounding rock is the cornerstone of tunnel design and construction.The traditional methods are mainly qualitative and manual and require extensive professional knowledge and engineering experience.To minimize the effect of the empirical judgment on the accuracy of surrounding rock classification,it is necessary to reduce human participation.An intelligent classification technique based on information technology and artificial intelligence could overcome these issues.In this regard,using 299 groups of drilling parameters collected automatically using intelligent drill jumbos in tunnels for the Zhengzhou-Wanzhou high-speed railway in China,an intelligent-classification surrounding-rock database is constructed in this study.Based on a machine learning algorithm,an intelligent classification model is then developed,which has an overall accuracy of 91.9%.Finally,using the core of the model,the intelligent classification system for the surrounding rock of drilled and blasted tunnels is integrated,and the system is carried by intelligent jumbos to perform automatic recording and transmission of drilling parameters and intelligent classification of the surrounding rock.This approach provides a foundation for the dynamic design and construction(both conventional and intelligent)of tunnels.

Complexity analysis of blast-induced vibrations in underground mining: A case study

Blasting in geological bodies is an industrial process acting in an environment characterized by high uncertainties (natural joints, faults, voids, abrupt structural changes), which are transposed into the process parameters (e.g. energetic transfer to rock mass, hole deviations, misfires, vibrations, fly-rock, etc.). The approach to this problem searching for the "optimum" result can be ineffective. The geological environment is marked out by too many uncertainties, to have an "optimum" suitable to different applications. Researching for "Robustness" in a blast design gives rise to much more efficiency. Robustness is the capability of the system to behave constantly under varying conditions, without leading to unexpected results. Since the geology varies from site to site, setting a robust method can grant better results in varying environments, lowering the costs and increasing benefits and safety. Complexity Analysis (C.A.) is an innovative approach to systems. C.A. allows analyzing the Complexity of the Blast System and the criticality of each variable (drilling, charging and initiation parameters). The lower is the complexity, the more robust is the system, and the lower is the possibility of unexpected results. The paper presents the results obtained thanks to the C.A. approach in an underground gypsum quarry (Italy), exploited by conventional rooms and pillars method by drilling and blasting. The application of C.A. led to a reliable solution to reduce the charge per delay, hence reducing the impact of ground vibration on the surrounding structures. The analysis of the correlation degree between the variables allowed recognizing empirical laws as well.

A new theory of rock-explosive matching based on the reasonable control of crushed zone

Rational rock-explosive matching is of great importance to enhancing explosive energy effective utilization and improving rock fragmentation effect.The traditionally emphasized method of acoustic impedance matching is not rational.Based on blasting breakage mechanism,a new theory of rock-explosive matching in drilling and blasting is proposed.The new approach chooses explosive parameters by reasonable control of the size of crushed zone under the condition of fully fragmentation between adjacent blast holes.This method can directly reflect the blasting fragmentation effect and energy effective utilization,which is easy to implement.Also,a modified model is developed,taken adjacent blast hole blasting loading into account.As a result,explosive parameters of different grades of rock are given in full coupling on-site mixed explosive charge for different project objectives.

STUDY ON THE ON－LINE OPTIMAL CONTROL OF PARAMETERS OF THREE－CONE BLAST HOLE DRILLS

A model recognition method for the on-line optimal control of the parameters ofthree-cone blast drills is developed. It takes a few of on-line measurements and has a rapidoptimization speed. The mathematic model for on-line optimal control of the parameters and thedetermination of the parameters in the model are also presented.

Rapid profiling rock mass quality underneath tunnel face for Sichuan-Xizang Railway

The Sichuan-Xizang Railway is a global challenge,surpassing other known railway projects in terms of geological and topographical complexity.This paper presents an approach for rapidly profiling rock mass quality underneath tunnel face for the ongoing construction of the Sichuan-Xizang Railway.It adopts the time-series method and carries out the quantitative analysis of the rock mass quality using the depth-series measurement-while-drilling(MWD)data associated with drilling of blastholes.A tunnel face with 15 blastholes is examined for illustration.The results include identification of the boundary of homogeneous geomaterial by plotting the blasthole depth against the net drilling time,as well as quantification of rock mass quality through the recalculation of the new specific energy.The new specific energy profile is compared and highly consistent with laboratory test,manual logging and tunnel seismic prediction results.This consistency can enhance the blasthole pattern design and facilitate the dynamic determination of charge placement and amount.This paper highlights the importance of digital monitoring during blasthole drilling for rapidly profiling rock mass quality underneath and ahead of tunnel face.It upgrades the MWD technique for rapid profiling rock mass quality in drilling and blasting tunnels.

Blast damage zone strength reduction method for deep cavern excavation and its application

The drill and blast(D&B)method is widely used to excavate underground spaces,but explosions generally cause damage to the rock.Still,no blast simulation method can provide computational accuracy and efficiency.In this paper,a blast equivalent simulation method called the blast damage zone strength reduction(BDZSR)method is proposed.This method first calculates the range of the blast-induced damage zone(BDZ)by formulae,then reduces the strength and deformation parameters of the rock within the BDZ ahead of excavation,and finally calculates the excavation damage zone(EDZ)for the D&B method by numerical simulation.This method combines stress wave attenuation,rock damage criteria and stress path variation to derive the BDZ depth calculation formulae.The formulae consider the initial geo-stress,and the reliability is verified by numerical simulations.The calculation of BDZ depth with these formulae allows the corresponding numerical simulation to avoid the time-consuming dynamic calculation process,thus greatly enhancing the calculation efficiency.The method was applied to the excavation in Jinping Class II hydropower station to verify its feasibility.The results show that the BDZSR method can be applied to blast simulation of underground caverns and provide a new way to study blast-induced damage.