| abstract |
A method of smooth wall rock blasting is provided in which an alignment of boreholes for explosive charging is drilled into rock and a single, smaller diameter empty borehole is drilled close and parallel to, and on each side of each charged borehole. Upon detonation of the charged boreholes, the rock is cracked smoothly along the plane coincident with the axes of the holes. The method reduces drilling costs to a minimum and provides improved results over the previous pre-shearing and other known methods. |