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Damage to surface structures due to underground coal mine blasting: apprehension or real cause?

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Investigations were carried out at three underground coal mines in India to study the response of surface structures to underground blasting and the likelihood of damage to the structures. The structures in the vicinity of the underground blasting area were single and multistoried residential houses. The amplitudes of vibration due to underground blasting were monitored simultaneously on the ground surface near the foundation of the structures and on various floors of the structures. The vibrations were also monitored near the important surface installations. It was observed that the magnitude of vibration in structures decreased with the increase in the height of the structures. The frequency of blast vibration from underground blasting was higher than the natural frequency of the structures. Little energy was transmitted into the structures, which caused reduction in the vibration level in the structures. The reduction in the vibration levels was up to 45% in the houses. It indicates that the dominant frequency of blast vibration plays an important role in persistence of vibration and its amplification or reduction characteristics in the structures. This paper deals with the effect of the vibrations on structures/houses standing above the blasting faces in underground workings and their potential to likely damage to the structures at different Indian geo-mining conditions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to the Ministry of Coal, Government of India for financial support of the study. The permission of Director, Central Mining Research Institute, Dhanbad, India to publish the paper is also thankfully acknowledged. The authors are also thankful to the officials of the mines for providing necessary facilities during the course of investigation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Blasting Department, Central Mining Research Institute, Dhanbad, 826 001, India

    P. K. Singh & M. P. Roy

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  1. P. K. Singh
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  2. M. P. Roy
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Correspondence to P. K. Singh.

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Singh, P.K., Roy, M.P. Damage to surface structures due to underground coal mine blasting: apprehension or real cause?. Environ Geol 53, 1201–1211 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0709-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0709-7

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