ABSTRACT
Damage in rock is an important issue in many parts of blasting. The purpose of most blasting operations is to disintegrate the rock mass so that mechanical equipment can efficiently excavate the rock fragments. Blasting affects rock by creating new fractures and by decreasing the overall rock strength. The latter occurs with the creation of new micro fractures and the initial separation of the rock along incipient breaks at the grain boundaries. This “damage zone” is mainly created in the volume nearest the explosive. The depth of the damage zone after blasting depends on a number of parameters. Most important are the linear charge concentration (LCC), the properties of the explosive and the properties of the surrounding rock mass (geology).
