Rock blasting is the controlled use of explosives to excavate or remove rock. It is a technique used most often in mining and civil engineering such as dam construction.
The use of explosives in mining goes back to the year 1627, when gunpowder was first used in place of mechanical tools in the Hungarian (now Slovakian) town of Banská Štiavnica. The innovation spread quickly throughout Europe and the Americas.
In 1990, 2.1 million tonnes (2.32 million short tons) of commercial explosives were consumed in the USA, representing an estimated expenditure of 3.5 to 4 billion 1993 dollars on blasting. Australia had the highest explosives consumption that year at 500 million tonnes (551 million short tons), with Scandinavian countries another leader in rock blasting (Persson et al. 1994:1).
Gallery
 Blast hole drilling with Tamrock Scout 700 |
 Charging drilled holes with ANFO |
 Rock surface newly blasted |
 Sideling Hill road cut formed by rock blasting |
References
- Persson, Per-Anders; Roger Holmberg, and Jaimin Lee (1994). Rock Blasting and Explosives Engineering. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-8978-X.
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