Environmental impacts of ground vibration induced by blasting at different rock units on the Kadikoy–Kartal metro tunnel

This paper presents the results of ground vibration analysis induced by blasting during the construction of the Istanbul Kadıköy–Kartal metro tunnel. Different rock formations in this tunnel route were encountered during the excavation with blasting. As a first stage, the test site is divided into 6 main regions with respect to lithology changes in the rock units and Hoek's Geological Strength Index value of these rock units. During the excavation, a total of 659 events were recorded in 260 shots by vibration monitors. Scaled distance and peak particle velocity data pairs belonging to these shots were carefully recorded and analyzed statistically. As a result of this analysis, empirical relationships between scaled distance and peak particle velocity were established with higher correlation coefficients specific to each region. Finally, the particle velocities and frequency values of all blast events were evaluated according to Turkish Environmental Regulation, the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) and the German DIN 4150 Norms in order to predict the influence level to the neighboring buildings and structures.     

The analysis of ground vibrations induced by bench blasting at Akyol quarry and practical blasting charts

Ground vibrations arising from excavation with blasting is one of the fundamental problems in the mining industry. Therefore, the prediction of ground vibration components plays an important role in the minimization of environmental complaints. In this study, 582 events were recorded during limestone production at a quarry (Akyol Quarry) during a period of time. The blasting parameters of these shots were also carefully recorded. During the statistical analysis of the collected data, three predictor equations proposed by the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM), Ambraseys–Hendron and Langefors–Kihlstrom were used to establish a relationship between peak particle velocity and scaled distance described by these prediction equations. As a result of this analysis, the most powerful relationship was determined and proposed to be used in this site. And also, this equation was used in the derivation of the practical blasting charts specific to this site as a practical way of predicting the peak particle velocity and maximum charge amount per delay for future blasting.     

露天矿高台阶爆破的数值分析

高台阶爆破可行性研究属于多因素影响、复杂的系统工程。针对高台阶爆破的研究现状,提出了从爆破机制角度证实高台阶爆破可行性的方法,基于数值模拟方法对台阶爆破过程进行分析。通过对比现行普通台阶爆破与高台阶爆破过程中台阶难爆部位（台阶底部与顶部）应力场变化趋势,发现采用高台阶爆破可以得到与普通台阶爆破相当或更好的爆破效果。从爆破机制角度证实,高台阶爆破技术在巴润铁矿具有可行性。数值分析结果表明,高台阶爆破时采用的最佳起爆方式为全药柱同时起爆方式,其次为中间起爆和两端起爆方式,不适宜采用孔底起爆方式。     

The use of air decks in production blasting in an open pit coal mine

The influence of air deck blasting on blast performance and blast economics and its feasibility has been studied in the production blasting of soft and medium strength sandstone overburden rocks in an open pit coal mine in India. The air deck blasting technique was very effective in soft and medium strength rocks. Its main effects resulted in reducing fines, in producing more uniform fragmentation and in improving blast economics. The fines were reduced by 60–70% in homogeneous sandstones. Oversize boulders were reduced by 80% and shovel loading efficiency was improved by 20–40% in blocky sandstones. The explosive cost was reduced by 10–35% dependent on the type of rock mass. Throw, backbreak and ground vibration were reduced by 10–35%, 50–80% and 30–94% respectively. For a particular rock mass and blast design environment, air deck length (ADL) significantly influenced the fragmentation. ADL as represented by air deck factor (ADF) in the range of 0.10–0.35 times the original charge length (OCL) produced optimum results. ADF beyond 0.35 resulted in poor fragmentation and in inadequate burden movement.     

Reducing ground vibrations caused by underground blasts in LKAB Malmberget mine

Due to the large-scale sub-level caving in Malmberget mine and the short distance between the mine and Malmberget town, the ground vibrations in the town have reached a high level since the year 2001 when large scale caving mining started. In order to control and reduce the high vibrations, LKAB launched a research project on active reduction of vibrations in Malmberget by using the wave interference or wave superposition method with electronic detonators. By means of this method, the vertical vibrations were reduced by 10% and the total vibration time for a ring blast was reduced by 80% according to five ring tests in the mine. For a further reduction of the vibrations, a second method, named changing initiation sequence in ring blasts, was developed on the basis of stress wave theory and the geographic conditions of the town and the mine. The second method has so far been applied in all of the drifts near the town, and the vibrations measured at the town show that the vertical vibrations caused by production blasts in the mine have been reduced by more than 31% on average. In addition, a third method, dividing a ring into two parts during blasting, was developed and used to reduce the ground vibrations from a number of very large rings in the mine. The results indicate that the vibrations have been reduced by more than 33%, and a more interesting and surprising result is that ore extraction has been increased by the third method.     

A three dimensional model of muckpile formation and grade boundary movement in open pit blasting

Summary Formulation and case studies of a three dimensional kinematic model are presented. Thein situ overburden geometry can be simulated accurately and various initiation patterns of blasts can be modelled. The overburden geometry, hole patterns and explosive distribution are all explicit model inputs. Because the effect of explosive properties, rock mass condition and inter-row delay are very difficult to measure in terms of blast performance, these are represented in the model by control parameters which are left for calibration using field data. The output of the model is a three dimensional muckpile shape of any cross section and a contour map of grade distribution within the muckpile. Two case studies are presented which have shown that the model is a valuable tool for optimizing production blasting as well as for controlling grade dilution during blasting.     

Environmental geological investigations at the Van open dump site, southeastern Turkey

 This study evaluates the geological, hydrogeological and hydrological conditions at the open waste dump site of the Van municipality in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. A geological map and a three-dimensional view of the project site have been prepared. All lithological units exposed at and near the dump site have been determined and their boundary relationships identified. Drainage basin characteristics of the dump site along with the water bearing properties of different lithological units have been assessed. For the rehabilitation of the existing dump site, material availability (clay as a liner, cap, and daily cover material; granular soil as a filter material) has been researched. Based on the geological, hydrogeological, morphological and hydrological conditions of the existing waste dump site, recommendations to minimize its environmental impact are presented. Received: 8 March 1999 · Accepted: 3 May 1999     

Environmental impact assessment of open pit mining in Iran

Mining is widely regarded as having adverse effects on environment of both magnitude and diversity. Some of these effects include erosion, formation of sinkhole, biodiversity loss and contamination of groundwater by chemical from the mining process in general and open-pit mining in particular. As such, a repeatable process to evaluate these effects primarily aims to diminish them. This paper applies Folchi method to evaluate the impact of open-pit mining in four Iranian mines that lacked previous geo-environmental assessment. Having key geologic resources, these mines are: Mouteh gold mine, Gol-e-Gohar and Chogart iron mines, and Sarcheshmeh copper mine. The environmental components can be defined as public health and safety, social relationships, air and water quality, flora and fauna hence, various impacting factors from the mining activities were estimated for each environmental component. For this purpose, each impacting factor was first given a magnitude, based solely on the range of possible scenarios. Thereafter, a matrix of weighted factors was derived to systematically quantify and normalize the effects of each impacting factor. The overall impact upon each individual environmental component was then calculated by summing the weighted rates. Here, Folchi method was applied to evaluate those environmental conditions. Based on the acquired results, the present paper finally concludes that amongst four case histories in Iran, Sarcheshmeh copper mine significantly affects the environment, with critical level of air pollution there.     

Environmental impacts of the abandoned mercury mine in Podljubelj, Slovenia

The Podljubelj mercury mine lies in the NW part of Slovenia. The ore is of hydrothermal-vein type. The ore deposit was exploited between the years 1557 and 1902. Total production of the mine was 110000 tons of ore （360 tons of Hg）. A smelter located close to the mine had been in operation since 1855. The waste material from the mine and the smelter was dumped in close vicinity of the mine. Total quantity of the waste has been estimated at 170000 tons. In order to establish environmental impacts, soil and stream sediment samples were investigated. Soil samples were collected at two different depths （horizons A and B） in a 100 m grid within an 88 ha area. In the vast area also 11 samples of stream sediments were considered. Heavy metals were determined by means of cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry CV-AAS after aqua regia digestion. Based on the chemical analyses of samples, the estimated mercury mean for soils is 3.67 mg/kg （0.35-244 mg/kg） for horizon A and 1.39 mg/kg （0.17-71.7 mg/kg） for horizon B. The estimated mercury mean for stream sediments is 0.64 mg/kg （0.065-1.36 mg/kg）. The concentrations of mercury in soils generally decrease with depth and distance from the mine. The highest content of Hg was determined in a sample taken in the immediate vicinity of the smelter （719 mg/kg）. The results have shown that on the 9 ha of the study area, the contents of Hg in soils exceeded the officially set limit value for soils （10 mg/kg）. High contents of Hg in soil around the abandoned smelter are a consequence of former atmospheric emissions and technological losses. High contents of Hg were also found in the mine and smelter waste dump. At the edges of the study area and in the samples of stream sediments, Hg concentrations are low.     

Environmental impact of geothermal fluids on surface water, groundwater and streambed sediments in the Akarcay Basin, Turkey

In this study, the impact of geothermal water on ground and surface waters has been investigated in Akarcay Basin, Turkey. The release of thermal return water from district heating in the city of Afyon and from thermal baths has a considerable environmental impact on the main stream. Historical analyses of stream water quality data show that the present pollution is associated primarily with thermal return water of district heating system. Currently, about 6% of stream water comprises of thermal water. The pollution seems to degrade the water quality in Lake Eber. Streambed sediments were found to be in equilibrium with polluted water and may lead to additional pollution in lake water. Thermal groundwater intrusion to fresh water production wells was detected mainly at sites close to geothermal fields. Solutions to remove thermal water from surface environment are suggested.     

矿山地质环境影响评价及修复研究——以汶川某废弃露天矿山为例

矿山正常的生产经营活动势必形成一定的矿山地质环境问题。为全面贯彻生态文明思想,牢固树立“绿水青山就是金山银山”的理念,按照恢复生态、兼顾景观总体要求,因地制宜、多措并举,扎实开展废弃露天矿山地质环境修复。依据矿山地质环境保护与恢复的相关规范与要求,以汶川某废弃露天矿山为例,从矿山环境角度介绍了矿山地质环境的影响因素,开展矿山斜坡整体稳定性、采场边坡稳定性、弃渣堆稳定性及地形地貌景观破坏等地质环境影响评价,划分治理重点、次重点和一般3个基本的矿山地质环境保护与恢复防治区。结果表明: 矿山斜坡及弃渣堆现状基本稳定、采场边坡稳定性较差、地形地貌景观影响和破坏程度中等; 研究区矿山地质环境保护与恢复治理可划分为一般防治区和较严重防治区,其中一般防治区面积约554 m2(矿区无因采矿活动诱发的地质灾害,影响区内无居民居住,无威胁对象,矿区及周围地表水体未漏失,矿业活动对水土环境影响程度为影响程度小,未影响到矿区及周围生活供水)、较严重防治区面积186 m2(矿区与影响区地质灾害发生可能性小,地形地貌景观影响和破坏程度较严重)。针对评价结果提出的“坡面浮石清理+清除建筑垃圾、块石+植被重建”等修复建议,为同类型矿山绿色开采及地质环境保护措施提供了的重要技术参考依据。     

An assessment of environmental impacts of quarry-blasting operation: a case study in Istanbul, Turkey

This study evaluates the impacts resulting from quarry-blasting operation on nearby buildings and structures as it generates ground vibration, air blast, and fly rocks. In this paper, first blasting operation and its possible environmental effects are defined. Then the methods of blast-vibration prediction and commonly accepted criteria to prevent damage were introduced. A field experimental work was conducted to minimize the vibration effects at Saribayir quarry as it is an identical case for the many quarries situated in and around Istanbul, Turkey. Although the local surrounding geology and rock mechanics have great influence on vibrations as uncontrollable parameter, the charge weight per delay, delay period, geometric parameters of the blasts were changed to solve the existing vibration problem in the studied quarry. To obtain a realistic result, 10 blasts were carried out and 30 seismic records were made in different places mainly very close the buildings and the other vulnerable structures around the quarry. The evaluation is performed whether the vibration level are within safe limits or not. The prediction equation based on scaled distance concept is also determined, however, it is a site-specific model and need to be updated when the quarry advances. The safe blast parameters which minimize the environmental effect were determined for the Saribayir quarry.     

Probabilistic block theory analysis for a rock slope at an open pit mine in USA

A new formulation is given to conduct a probabilistic block theory analysis. A new computer code (PBTAC) is developed to perform both deterministic and probabilistic block theory analysis. The variability of the discontinuity orientation and shear strength is incorporated in the probabilistic block theory analysis. Discontinuity orientation is treated as a bivariate random variable including the correlation that exists between the dip angle and dip direction. PBTAC code was applied to perform both deterministic and probabilistic block theory analyses for a part of an open pit mine in USA. Needed geological and geotechnical data for the analyses were obtained from field and laboratory investigations. The variability of the discontinuity orientations resulted in important differences between the probabilistic and deterministic block theory analyses results. The results confirmed that the design value selected for the maximum safe slope angle (MSSA) for a particular region in the open pit mine based on the deterministic block theory analysis can be on the unsafe side. In summary, the results showed clearly the superiority of probabilistic block theory analysis over the deterministic block theory analysis in obtaining additional important information with respect to designing rock slopes. The calculated values agree very well with the existing almost stable bench face angles reported by the mining company.     

Mechanism of the water invasion of Gaoyang Iron Mine,China and its impacts on the mine groundwater environment

With the development of mining of iron deposits in China, groundwater invasion and the impacts of groundwater drainage, such as regional groundwater table lowering, overlapping cones of depression, subsidence, and water quality deterioration are environmental problems which endanger mining production and human life. Effective prevention of water invasion or timely determination of the mechanism of water bursting and rational design of drainage plans are the most urgent mining challenges. The mechanism of water invasion and the environment impacts on the groundwater system of the Gaoyang Iron Mine, China were dealt with in this paper. A systematical investigation of the hydrogeological conditions and monitoring of groundwater dynamics of the mine were completed. Results show that the limestone of the middle Ordovician System constitutes the under floor of the iron deposit. This limestone is the main source of water invasion into the mine. Groundwater dynamic equilibrium conditions are broken due to mine drainage. Water invasion and drainage have caused a serious impact on the groundwater environment of the area.     

Prediction of ground vibrations resulting from the blasting operations in an open-pit mine by adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system

The aim of this study is to predict the peak particle velocity (PPV) values from both presently constructed simple regression model and fuzzy-based model. For this purpose, vibrations induced by bench blasting operations were measured in an open-pit mine operated by the most important magnesite producing company (MAS) in Turkey. After gathering the ordered pairs of distance and PPV values, the site-specific parameters were determined using traditional regression method. Also, an attempt has been made to investigate the applicability of a relatively new soft computing method called as the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) to predict PPV. To achieve this objective, data obtained from the blasting measurements were evaluated by constructing an ANFIS-based prediction model. The distance from the blasting site to the monitoring stations and the charge weight per delay were selected as the input parameters of the constructed model, the output parameter being the PPV. Valid for the site, the PPV prediction capability of the constructed ANFIS-based model has proved to be successful in terms of statistical performance indices such as variance account for (VAF), root mean square error (RMSE), standard error of estimation, and correlation between predicted and measured PPV values. Also, using these statistical performance indices, a prediction performance comparison has been made between the presently constructed ANFIS-based model and the classical regression-based prediction method, which has been widely used in the literature. Although the prediction performance of the regression-based model was high, the comparison has indicated that the proposed ANFIS-based model exhibited better prediction performance than the classical regression-based model.     

Environmental impact and remediation of acid mine drainage: a management problem

 Work carried out at the abandoned copper (Cu) and sulphur (S) mine at Avoca (south east Ireland) has shown acid mine drainage (AMD) to be a multi-factor pollutant. It affects aquatic ecosystems by a number of direct and indirect pathways. Major impact areas are rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters, although AMD affects different aquatic ecosystems in different ways. Due to its complexity, the impact of AMD is difficult to quantify and predict, especially in riverine systems. Pollutional effects of AMD are complex but can be categorized as (a) metal toxicity, (b) sedimentation processes, (c) acidity, and (d) salinization. Remediation of such impacts requires a systems management approach which is outlined. A number of working procedures which have been developed to characterise AMD sites, to produce surface water quality management plans, and to remediate mine sites and AMD are all discussed. Received: 16 January 1996 · Accepted: 5 March 1996     

Contribution of electrical tomography methods in geotechnical investigations at Mavropigi lignite open pit mine,Northern Greece

In this paper, the application of 2D and 3D electrical resistivity methods in geotechnical investigations is explored through a case study in Northern Greece. These two methods were employed at a lignite surface mining operation where fracture zones and discontinuities have been recently observed close to the pit boundaries. The main aim of the geophysical survey was to estimate the inclination of the contact between the Neogene and Schist/Carbonate formations near the southern limits of the pit, as well as to estimate the thickness of the carbonate rocks on top of the Schist formations to evaluate the stability of the southern slopes. Synthetic data were initially generated to help plan an efficient electrical tomography survey, in a region with complex geology and irregular terrain. Three configurations (Wenner–Schlumberger and dipole–dipole or pole–dipole) proved essential in such conditions and helped improving the resolution of the resistivity section. The sections were then calibrated by boreholes. Finally, the geophysical survey provided invaluable data regarding the geometry of the bedrock and possible faults, which was essential for the slope stability calculations.     

台山核电站边坡爆破振动监测及数值模拟研究

台山核电站场平一期边坡的稳定性直接关系到电站的顺利建设及核电站运营期间的安全。通过现场爆破振动监测,分析了爆破开挖时边坡的振动速度衰减规律, 发现爆区上方马道内侧质点振动速度随高程增加存在放大效应,并且这种放大效应在水平径向比垂直向更为显著;另外,在爆区上方第1级马道内侧,质点垂直向振动速度一般比水平径向振动速度大,平均为其1.5倍左右,而后随着应力波向坡体传播,垂直向速度迅速衰减,而水平径向速度衰减相对较慢,到第3级马道内侧,质点水平径向速度已和垂直向持平或略大。同时,结合三维离散元数值软件(3DEC)进行数值模拟,对边坡在爆破荷载作用下质点振动速度、位移以及塑性区状态进行分析,并与现场监测结果进行比较。结果表明,数值计算值与实测值误差在15%以内;在爆破荷载作用下边坡各级马道外侧顶点产生永久位移,但均较小,且趋于稳定;塑性区仅限于爆区周围,边坡整体是稳定的     

三维GIS技术在露采矿山环境管理中的应用

在简要介绍GIS技术的基础上,对传统平面图与三维模型进行了比较。结合实例介绍MAPGIS三维模型的建立及其在露采矿山环境管理信息系统中的应用,并对露采矿山生产、管理及决策上提供更加直观、有效的支持。