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Blast Hole Drilling. The name renders the process quite self-explanatory but the process is in fact quite meticulous and the geological effects are extraordinary. The aforementioned effects places blast hole drilling at the epicentre of industrial drilling and certainly is an incredibly useful technique when faced with stubborn geological material which make it difficult to get to the resources being mined or construction activity being undertaken. Below are the basics of blast hole rigs so you can get to know the drill…

So, What Is Blast Hole Drilling?

If you assumed that would be an explosion involved then you’re spot on. Blast Hole Drilling involves drilling a hole into a rock surface, the hole is then packed with explosives and subsequently detonated. The objective of this procedure is to place the explosives strategically in the drilled “blast hole” in order to induce cracks deep in the geological structure. The resulting cracks deteriorate the rock enough to facilitate further drilling necessary for further mining activity or to provide a conducive project environment for civil engineering activities.

What Industries Use Blast Hole Drilling?

In the mining industry, blast hole drilling can be used to access seams of coal, achieve access to a required mineral and it is used in quarries to obtain gravel of a particular size. The sheer magnitude of blast hole drilling makes it very useful in the civil engineering and construction industries because the variety of drill bits and explosive sizes make renders the technique useful for a number of engineering projects. For instance, blast hole drilling can be used for: easy trenching for pipe installation, blasting road and train tunnels through mountainous terrain and flattening land for the building of structures.

The Blast Hole Drilling Process Explained

1. Location Survey

Before any drilling can take place, strategic decisions need to be made to ascertain the best equipment for the job. A site survey needs to be conducted in order to determine the rock and soil type. This survey will result determine the size of drill, the diameter of the hole and the type of drill required.

2: Analyse Rock Types and Formations

The data from the initial survey is then handed over to the relevant researchers to determine the most effective drilling patterns.

3: Plan Drilling Patterns

The project manager is then tasked with interpreting the analysed data and then subsequently interprets it by drawing up the resulting drilling patterns.

4: Drill the Blast Holes

The data provided by the surveys and analysis determined which drill to use, the diameter of the blast hole and the depth of the bored hole. It is at this point that the actual drilling of the blast holes take place.

5: Breaking Up the Rock

Fire in the hole! Now that that the blast holes have been drilled, they are packed with explosives and remote-detonated to induce cracks in the geological structure.

6: The Clean Up Process

As you may have guessed, detonating a massive geological colossus will result in one serious mess. A variety of earth moving and clearing machinery will be deployed at this stage in order to clear away debris left by the explosion.

Blast Hole Drilling Rigs in South Africa

Undertaking a project which requires blast hole drilling? Contact Bohrmeister for a free quotation and ensure that you get the job done right, the first time.