1
Basics of Blast Monitoring
in Open Pit Mines
Introduction
The purpose of blast monitoring at open pit
mines is to investigate the vibrations
produced from daily production shots. From a
geotechnical perspective, the purpose is
usually to help design blasts that will limit
damage to high walls. Sometimes it may be
desired to monitor blasts in near
infrastructure, such as the mine shop, etc.
This manual is intended to provide a simplified
guide for mine personnel, to allow them to
collect enough information to enable a blast
engineer to conduct an analysis using their
data.
Location of Monitors
The seismic waves being monitored are
reflected and refracted just like ripples on a
pond. Therefore, it is important to position
monitors at locations to minimize these
effects (Figure 1).
Figure 1
Good and Bad Monitoring Locations
The best place to locate monitors is on the
crest or toe elevation of the bench being
shot. However, logistics does not always allow
this configuration. It may then be necessary
to place the monitor several benches higher
or lower than the blast. In this situation, the
monitors should be placed away from the
bench crest, as seismic waves may be
refracted prior to reaching the monitor. It is
also important to place the monitors within
the same rock type that is being blasted.
This will ensure that blasting data from
similar rock types can be analyzed separately.
Even if the monitor is located in the same
rock type, the location may still be
unacceptable if there is a major fault
between the blast and the monitor.
Figure 2
Relative Location of Three Monitors
It is generally desirable to utilize more than
one monitor at a time, so there will be more
than one data point for each blast on the
velocity versus scaled distance plots used to
analyze the data. We usually use three
monitors, placed at increments of 1x, 2x, and
4x distances from the blast pattern (Figure
2).
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Examination of Blast Pattern

In order to properly monitor a blast, it is

necessary to record as much pertinent
information about the blast as possible,
including its bench location, date, time,
geometry, load per hole, initiation sequence,
etc. The best way to do this is to survey the
holes prior to loading, so a loading sequence,
including all delays, can be drawn (Figure 3).

Figure 4
Contoured Expected Detonation Times

Figure 3
Drawing of a Loading Sequence

It will then be necessary to calculate the

expected detonation times for all holes, after
which they can be contoured (Figure 4). The
expected detonation times should be manually
tabulated, so it will be possible to determine
Figure 5
if there are any holes that will detonate at
Five Hole Sets with Equal Detonation Times
the same time. For the example used here,
there are five sets of three holes that have
The times of detonation of the maximum
expected detonation times within one
charges shown in the figures are: 176 ms, 201
millisecond of each other. These five sets
ms, 260 ms, 302 ms, and 344 ms. Note that
will each contain the maximum expected
for each of these sets except the 201 ms set,
charge for the blast (Figure 5).
there are two holes located close together,
and one hole located further away from the
monitors. For the 201 ms holes, all three
holes are located apart from each other.

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Calculation of Monitoring Distances serious attention to their placement, the rest

of the procedure is likely to be a waste of
In order to plot the data for velocity versus time. The goal of the monitoring exercise is
scaled distance, the distance from the to record the motion of the undisturbed
monitors to the locus of the maximum charge bedrock as the shock waves pass through it.
should be calculated. In general, of the holes Therefore, the geophones must be placed
with similar expected detonation times, those firmly on competent bedrock in order to
with similar radial distance to the monitors obtain good results (Figure 7).
would be grouped together to determine the
maximum charge. For the blast pattern
shown in the figures, the first set of blast
holes with similar expected detonation time
will be used. Of the three holes with
expected detonation time of 176 ms, the two
located close together will be used to
calculate the maximum charge (Figure 6).

Figure 7
Location of Geophone on Pit Floor

The requirement for physical contact with

Figure 6
Determination of Likely Maximum Charge
The distance from the center of the two 176
ms blast holes, i.e., the locus of the maximum
charge, to each monitor is the distance that
should be entered into the blast monitors for
the blast event.
solid bedrock usually means excavating
through a minimum of several inches of
compacted blasted muck covering the bench.
The geophone and monitor should be
protected from fly rock using materials that
are locally available, such as sand bags and a
steel plate supported by large wood blocks
(Figure 8).

Placement of Geophones

Correct placement of the geophones is

critical to obtaining good results. Without

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Interpretation of Results

The output from the blast monitor will be a

seismograph for each of the three orthogonal
directions: longitudinal, transverse, and
vertical (Figure 10).

Figure 8
Protection of Monitor and Geophone

When doing more precision monitoring, such

as around underground portals, it is
preferable to utilize grouted steel spikes to
anchor the geophones (Figure 9).

Figure 10
Seismograph - Three Orthogonal Directions

The longitudinal direction indicates horizontal

movement in the direction from the blast to
the monitor, and usually results from
compression P waves. The transverse
direction indicates horizontal sideways
movement perpendicular to the longitudinal
direction, and usually results from S waves.
The vertical direction is self-explanatory.
The geophone utilizes transducers oriented in
these three directions, which is why it is
necessary to place it as level as possible.

The seismograph output indicates velocity,

Figure 9
not displacement. The Blast Mate indicates
Proper Anchor of Geophone
the peak particle velocity for each of the
three directions, as well as the resultant peak
Time spent in ground preparation prior to the
particle velocity (PPVr), which may or may not
blast monitoring is usually time well spent, and
correspond to any of the three individual
can mean the difference between good
maximum velocities (Figure 11).
results and poor results.

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Figure 11
Peak Particle Velocity on Seismograph
We are interested in the maximum peak
particle velocity, so we use the values
indicated for PPVr in our analysis. The PPVr is
calculated from its three component vectors
using the following equation:
PPVr = (PVlong2 + PVvert2 + PVtran2)0.5
Where:
PPVr = Resultant Peak Particle Velocity
PVlong = PPVr in the Longitudinal Direction
at Time of PPVr
PVvert = PPVr in the Vertical Direction
at Time of PPVr
PVtran = PPVr in the Transverse Direction
at Time of PPVr
The relationships defined by this equation are
presented graphically with vectors in Figure
12.
5
Figure 12
Resultant Peak Particle Velocity Vector
This is the relationship utilized by the
Blastmate in computing the PPVr for each
blast monitored. The PPVr may correlate to
one, two, or all three of the individual
component vectors, depending on the nature
of the vibrations at the geophone location.
Analysis of Results
The primary tool we use for blast monitoring
analysis is PPVr versus scaled distance (SD)
plot. We use the following equation (Figure
13):
SD = D/(W0.5)
Where:
D = Distance from Locus of
Maximum Charge to Monitor
W = Total Charge Weight
for Maximum Charge
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V = Vi*(SD)a

Where:

V = Peak Particle Velocity (PPV)

Vi = Rock-Specific Variable Determined

by The Intercept of the Best-Fit
Regression Line on the V vs SD
Plot for SD = 1.0

a = Rock-Specific Variable Defined as

the Slope of the Best-Fit Regression
Line on the V vs SD Plot.
Figure 13
(Slope of Regression Typically = 1.6)
Definition of Scaled Distance

The plot of actual monitoring data will usually

For this example, we are using only two of the
result in a scatter of points that is wider than
three blast holes with the same expected
the user would like to see (Figure 15).
detonation time of 176 ms, so the maximum
charge weight would equal two times the
single hole charge weight.

Figure 15
Monitoring Data versus Regression Line
Figure 14
The reasons for the scatter are many,
Calculation of Peak Particle Velocity
including the following:
The blasting equation we use to relate the
1) The actual time of detonation of
resultant peak particle velocity (PPVr) to
the individual holes is statistically
scaled distance (SD) is:
variable.

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2) The resulting maximum charge R.C. Barkley, P.E.

may not be the same as the Senior Geotechnical Engineer
expected maximum charge. Call & Nicholas, Inc
3) The maximum charge locus may
not be where it was predicted, R.L. Crouse, P.E.
due to reasons 1 & 2. Senior Geological Engineer
4) The rock type being monitored is Call & Nicholas, Inc.
never isotropic, resulting in
statistical variance from seismic December 2001
wave parameters from their
theoretical values.
5) The distances over which the
blasts are monitored are limited
to a range dictated by the size of
the pit.
6) There are usually not enough
monitoring points for each rock
type, due to constraints of
logistics, resources, and time, to
create a theoretical statistically
valid data set.

In order to obtain the best possible results,

it is desirable to obtain as many data points
as possible with different distances from the
maximum charge to the monitors. This is one
of the few sources of scatter in the PPVr vs
SD graph over which we have control.

After the monitoring data is graphed for

each rock type, and values for Vi and a are
determined, the blasting equation listed
above can be used to predict behavior of
seismic waves from future blasts. Blast
pattern geometry, hole size, charge weights,
delay timing, etc., can be modified to fit the
needs of the mine. This is the ultimate goal
of a good blast monitoring program.

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