Ground vibration generated by hydraulic rock breakers and its impact on the safety of nearby earthfill dam in a graphite mine

A detailed impact analysis on the effects of non-explosive chemicals and hydraulic rock breakers at a graphite mine in India close to an irrigation dam was carried out in this study. The dam was 70 m from the mining lease boundary. When a single hydraulic rock breaker worked on fractured rock mass, the magnitude of ground vibration recorded at 10 m on the same working bench was 2.37 mm s−1 but when it worked on fresh rock surface the ground vibration at 9 m on the same working bench was 4.67 mm s−1. Beyond 35 m on the same bench, no ground vibrations were recorded. Ground vibrations generated by three jack hammer drilling machines operating simultaneously on the same working bench were less than 0.5 mm s−1 when measured at 7.2 m distance. The combined effect on the magnitudes of ground vibrations by two hydraulic rock breakers operating simultaneously on the same bench 6 m apart was found to be negligible. The ground vibrations generated by hydraulic rock breakers and other mining activities were found to be lower than required to cause any structural damage or threat to the stability of the dam