The Environmental and Ecological Effects of the Plaster Stemming Method for Blasting: A case study

Abstract

This study was carried out at a limestone quarry of the Kartas Company at the Bozanonu village in the Isparta region in 2010. Two blast trials, one with a classical drill cuttings stemming method and new plaster stemming method were carried out and the environmental and ecological effects were measured in terms of vibration and air shock and observed flying rock. The results were evaluated in terms of environmental and ecological values. In the one series of blast tests, the blast cost was reduced to 16 % by increasing the burden and spacing distance for the unit volume rock. In this way, 21% more blast area and the 21% more rock was obtained with the same hole-drilling. It means that lesser drilling and lesser blasting results in lesser environmental and ecological effects for obtaining the unit volume rock. Blast trial with plaster stemming produced less oversize material. For instance, +30 cm size fragments reduced to 5.4 % compared to 37.7 % in the conventional method of classical drill cutting stemming. In the next process, both the product can be broken and ground more profitable and especially the dust problem and other grinding and breaking induced environmental and ecological damage will be reduced. Therefore, it is expected that the new stemming method will commonly be preferred in the future. Using the new plaster stemming method, in spite of the 88 m measuring distance, vibration, and air shock values increased in the Peak Particle velocity (PPV) value from 12.0 mm/s to 17.8 mm/s and in the air shock value from 132 dB to 132.9 dB by directing more blast energy to rock breakage. Firstly in spite of it being seen as a disadvantage, it is not a disadvantage because of the total work (lower specific charge and specific drilling). In other words, we can obtain the same rock with lesser drilling and lesser explosives. In addition, these increased values were small and under the permitted limit of blast damage criteria in spite of the short measuring distance. Within the blasting area especially the birds, mammals, plants, as well as other living organisms can be affected. In terms of reducing the bad effects of blasting on the biological diversity, the new method provides successful and encouraging results because of a lower specific charge and specific drilling.