A blasting survey in limestone quarries

A survey of a number of Italian quarries involved in the production of raw materials for cement manufacturing has been carried out by collecting the blasting data under different conditions regarding the kind of material, the structural features of the rock and the location of the quarry. The data have been properly processed in order to put into light the relationship existing between the various blasting parameters and variables. Through the study of statistical correlation a straight linear function has been found to exist between the specific consumption of explosive and a global parameter accounting for the rock properties, the blasting geometry and the type and loading conditions of the explosive used, in which all the pertinent variables are incorporated as factors to a fractional power. The influence of individual issues according to the model is discussed and the outcome is explained on scientific grounds. The reliability of the model appears so good that it can be proposed as a predictive tool for blasting design.