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An Overview on Measurement-While-Drilling Technique and its Scope in Excavation Industry

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Abstract

Measurement-while-drilling (MWD) aims at collecting accurate, speedy and high resolution information from the production blast hole drills with a target of characterization of highly variable rock masses encountered in sub-surface excavations. The essence of the technique rests on combining the physical drill variables in a manner to yield a fairly accurate description of the sub-surface rock mass much ahead of following downstream operations. In this light, the current paper presents an overview of the MWD by explaining the technique and its set-up, the existing drill–rock mass relationships and numerous on-going researches highlighting the real-time applications. Although the paper acknowledges the importance of concepts of specific energy, rock quality index and a couple of other indices and techniques for rock mass characterization, it must be distinctly borne in mind that the technique of MWD is highly site-specific, which entails derivation of site-specific calibration with utmost care.

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Acknowledgments

The authors remain vastly indebted to the excellent support and facilities provided by the Center of Advanced Metallurgy and Mining (CAMM), Div. of Operations and Maintenance Eng., Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden, in conducting and accomplishing the present research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mining Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India

    P. Rai

  2. Division of Mining and Geo-technical Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden

    H. Schunesson

  3. Rock Technology Center, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden

    P.-A. Lindqvist

  4. Division of Operations and Maintenance Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden

    U. Kumar

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  1. P. Rai
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  2. H. Schunesson
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Correspondence to P. Rai.

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Rai, P., Schunesson, H., Lindqvist, PA. et al. An Overview on Measurement-While-Drilling Technique and its Scope in Excavation Industry. J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. D 96, 57–66 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40033-014-0054-4

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