Department of Mining Engineering

Centre for Blasting Technology & Research

(CBTR)

1.About the Centre:

A. Name of Centre: Centre for Blasting Technology & Research (CBTR)

We are proposing a new centre, named “Centre for Blasting Technology & Research” or

“CBTR” at IIT(ISM) to undertake research and development activities on drilling and blasting

operations for surface and underground mines. The centre will be run by a multi-disciplinary

team of scientists and engineers at IIT(ISM). It will draw upon expertise from all geosciences,

and management disciplines, including geology, geophysics, management, civil, mining and

mineralogy, and environmental engineering, to conduct research and development studies in

the specified areas of research with following objectives:

∙Act as a centre of excellence for the development of knowledge and capability in rock drilling and blasting.

∙Design and develop research methodologies in consonance with techno-economic feasibility in frontiers of explosives, its utilization in effective manner, controlled blasting techniques to reduce environmental issues due to blasting in close cooperation with all stake holders in the government and private sectors.

∙Adopt multi-disciplinary approach to formulate the optimum development strategy for environmental friendly blasting for excavation of metalliferous minerals, coal and civil construction excavations including tunnels, and caverns.

∙Collaborate with other institutions/universities/industries both in India and abroad for undertaking research studies on problems of importance in the areas of rock blasting.

∙Provide training to professionals of the Indian mineral and construction industry to equip them with knowledge and contemporary skills needed for rock blasting, faculty of other academic institutes etc.

The presence of all branches of engineering related to mining and allied earth sciences at

IIT(ISM) Dhanbad and existence of operating mines on the backyard of the institute for

development and testing of the innovative prototypes/ technology makes it the most suitable

place for such a centre.

B. Vision of the Centre

The vision behind establishing the Centre for Blasting Technology & Research (CBTR) is to

address the “environmental friendly blasting technology” which is one of the most important

requirement for the mining and civil construction industry. This centre will provide a platform for working together on rock blasting related research problems through an interdisciplinary approach and brings people together to solve rock blasting problems. The centre will have a large industrial and academic network, which will create benefits for its stakeholders.

The major goals to be achieved with the centre will be as following:

∙Development of techniques & products for controlled blasting in road construction in hilly terrain

∙Development of innovative products to reduce environmental Hazards due to blasting like Vibration, air over pressure, flyrock, dust, blast fumes

∙Modelling & prediction of rock damage during dynamic blast loading

∙Initiate and execute the research projects that could provide sustainable opportunities for the stakeholders.

In order to achieve these goals, the CBTR will be divided into following two R&D divisions:

1)Detonics and controlled blast design: This division will work on the detonation behaviour of explosives and its evaluation to understand the dynamic rock–explosive interaction in rock blasting and application of the same to resolve blasting related mining problems and available development opportunities based on the following major objectives:

•Rock mass characterization for blasting index and blast design

•Development of low energy explosives for environmental friendly blasting

•Environmental effects of blasting and its mitigation measures

•Development of alternatives to explosives

•Economic analysis/cost and benefit analysis

Deliverables: Controlled blasting techniques with Environmental friendly explosives product

Coordinator: Prof. B S Choudhary, Mining Engineering

2)Dynamic rock response to explosives loading in civil construction projects: This division will work on rock mass characterisation and optimization of blast design with respect to the rock/geological properties in civil construction projects. This division will focus on following major objectives:

•Dynamic response of rock-support interaction in weathered rockmass.

•Dynamic response of structures to blast induced vibration loading.

•Controlled blasting products/techniques in mining, Tunnels & Caverns and also for road construction in hilly terrain.

•Environmental impacts of blasting on civil construction projects and its mitigation measures.

Deliverables: Understanding the behavior of rock response in civil construction projects and reduction in rock damage.

Coordinator: Prof. Sukanta Chakraborty, Civil Engg.

3)Modelling and simulation of rock fracturing under dynamic loading: This division will work on understanding the rock response to dynamic loading under varying conditions and application of it to resolve the mining/civil excavation problems . The major objectives of the division will be:

∙Rock fracturing behaviour under dynamic and fatigue loading conditions

∙Modelling of rock fracturing process and prediction of fracturing

∙Rock fracture arresting analysis through damage tolerant coatings under dynamic loading conditions

∙Digitisation solution for blast design and controlled blasting

∙AI powered integrated drill & blast design solutions helping in making continuous improvements by enabling information reconciliation and performance monitoring.

Deliverables: Understanding the behavior of rock fracturing and rock damage under dynamic loading and mitigation measures

Coordinator: Prof. Sarthak Kumar Singh, Mechanical Engg. ;

C. Research Focus Area

Sl.

Area of

Interdisciplinary

Broad Activities

 

Broad Outcome

Beneficiaries

No.

Research

team

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Safe

and

∙ Mining

∙ Development

of

∙ New

variable

low

Government of

 

Environmental

∙ Environment

environmental

blasting

 

energy explosives

India,

 

Public

 

friendly

 

∙ Civil

techniques for the benefit

∙ New

Blasting

sector

enterprises

 

blasting

 

∙ Geology

of the society

 

Index

 

 

such

as

CIL,

 

 

 

∙ Physics

∙ Working

on

∙

Alternatives

to

NMDC,

UCIL,

 

 

 

 

NTPC,

 

HCL,

 

 

 

∙ Chemistry

interdisciplinary

funded

explosives

for

 

 

 

 

NLC

 

NHAI,

 

 

 

∙ Mathematics’

research projects to take

environment friendly

 

 

 

 

NHPC, IOCL etc.

 

 

 

and computing

 

 

mining

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and Private sector

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

companies

 

 

 

 

blasting

techniques to

∙ AI based real time

engaged

in

 

 

 

new horizon

 

 

blast design

mining,

 

 

 

 

∙ Development

of

low

 

hydropower,

 

 

 

 

 

energy

 

 

 

 

energy

 

 

energetic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

production, etc.

 

 

 

 

materials

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

∙ Prediction

of

dynamic

 

 

 

 

 

 

response

of

structures

 

 

 

 

 

 

and rock mass to blast

 

 

 

 

 

 

induced

 

 

vibration

 

 

 

 

 

 

loading

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

∙ AI application to predict

 

 

 

 

 

 

blast

induced

vibration,

 

 

 

 

 

 

air

blast,

fly

rock,

 

 

 

 

 

 

fragmentation and design

 

 

 

 

 

 

blasts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

∙ Development

of

blast

 

 

 

 

 

 

monitoring instruments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Existing Facilities: The following instruments are available with centre

Surface bench blast monitoring

iii.Research Spotlights.

Analysis of surface bench blast results