PrintLesson 6.1: The Big Bang
The mining industry is a major consumer of explosives, and the ore winning process is heavily dependent on blasting. The purchase and use of explosives is a significant cost, but a potentially greater cost is the effect of the blast on the overall cost of the product. An improperly designed or executed blast can increase loading time and cost, create future ground control problems, i.e., delays and costs, increase crushing costs, cause excessive fines that may be unsalable, and so on. Paying close attention to the results of each blast, and taking appropriate corrective action, can yield immediate benefits. Of course, you have to know what to look for, and how to achieve a desired result. So, let’s start at the beginning, and answer two fundamental questions! Why do we blast, and how do we blast?