REDUCING THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF BLASTING ON THE CAVE ECOSYSTEM NEAR THE FUTURE EXPLOITATION FIELD GRADUSA

Josip Mesec,Jasmin Jug,Denis Težak

doi:10.17794/rgn.2018.4.4

Josip Mesec, Jasmin Jug + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.17794/rgn.2018.4.4

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Abstract

The future exploitation field of technical-construction stone Gradusa is located in the area of Sunja municipality in Sisak-Moslavina County. Near Gradusa there is a cave that is part of the ecological network as a conservation area important for several species and habitat types of bats. The significance of the cave is also its location in the continental part of Croatia where it is among a small number of objects that bats can use in all periods of their annual cycle. Due to the location and importance of habitats, there was a need to define the primary environmental impacts assessment for the ecological network. This assessment is the most important document for the possible acquiring of a location permit for exploitation from the future quarry of Gradusa. This paper presents the results of trial blasting and guidelines for reducing the adverse blasting effects on the cave ecosystem near future exploitation field Gradusa. These are vibrations and noise, which may have an adverse impact on the habitats of bats. Cavers and experts on bats have also been included in the process of selecting the micro-location.

Highlights

The vibration generated by construction or quarry blasting may have an adverse impact on the environment
Scientists and experts in this area agree that the level of excited ground and structure vibrations depends on blasting technology, explosive type and mass, delay-timing variations, site geology, scaled distance, parameters of waves propagating at a location, susceptibility ratings of adjacent and remote structures, and other factors (Mesec et al, 2010; Mesec et al, 2016)
The highest level of airblast pressure amounting to 84.5 dB was measured at the monitoring station MO-4, which was closest to the blast location MP-3

Summary

Introduction

The vibration generated by construction or quarry blasting may have an adverse impact on the environment. The noise is caused by a blast of air pressure radiating out from the blast and is commonly referred to as air blast or air blast overpressure. It is measured in decibels using the linear weighting scale dB (URL 1). All blasting must be carried out properly by a competent person following best practice environmental management, to minimise the likelihood of adverse effects being caused by air blast overpressure and ground-borne vibration at noise-sensitive places and on people in the surrounding area (Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Queensland, 2016). Ground vibrations are measured with a seismic geophone sensor, and air blast is measured with a microphone designed to measure and record airblast pressure changes over time. Airblast pressure is reported in the linear field in decibels (dB)

Case study

Conclusion