ABSTRACT
Conventional explosives and blasting agents have different properties which characterize them and are used in assessing them for correct selection, depending upon the type of blasting to be carried out and the conditions under which it will be effectuated. The properties of each group of explosives also give prediction of the probable results of fragmentation, displacement and vibrations. The strength is, from the industrial application point of view, one of the most important properties, as it defines the energy available to produce mechanical effects. There are different terms to express the strength of an explosive. There are various practical methods to measure the strength or the available energy of an explosive, all disputable due to their peculiarities and their repercussion on the results when compared to the yields obtained in the blasts. The standard explosive is usually ANFO and it is supposed that the variation in vibrations is proportional to the energy of the explosive raised to 2/3.
