A method for predicting rock fragmentation and blast casting.

Fragmentation and burden velocity are the major concerns of any blasting operation. A good estimation of fragment size distribution before blasting is very useful and helpful for selecting the proper equipment for loading, hauling, and crushing rocks. The burden velocity can be used to predict the center of mass movement. There are three basic variables that determine the blasting effects. They are rock properties, explosive properties, and drilling patterns. These together include more than twenty factors that can affect the blasting results. The development of a blasting model which considers most of these factors is the main task of this effort. The blasting model consists of two parts: (1) fragmentation model; and (2) blast casting model. The computer program ROCKFRAG followed the algorithms developed by the blasting model. The development of ROCKFRAG provides a quick and reliable method to assess the blasting results for the blast designer before the actual shot. The predictions of ROCKFRAG have been successfully applied to several analyses. The comparisons are in good agreement