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Innovative Directional Controlled Blasting Technique for Excavation of Unstable Slopes Along a Busy Transportation Route: a Case Study of Konkan Railway in India

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Abstract

Many cases of derailments, train accidents and traffic interruptions due to the slope failure and rockfall have been reported in the past on Konkan Railway trackline because of unstable rock slopes. The authorities installed stability enhancement measures such as wire netting, rock bolting and shotcreting which were found insufficient. The failed geotechnical measures prompted authorities to excavate the unstable slopes. Rock blasting is generally not preferred for the excavation of slopes along the transportation route. Stabilisation and widening of slopes by blasting need closure of the route for a considerable time. Discontinuing traffic on Konkan Railway route was undesirable as it connects two important port cities Mumbai and Mangalore. The paper presents an innovative directional controlled blasting (DCB) technique for excavating three unstable slopes (i.e. cuttings) in hilly terrain without disturbing the traffic. New empirical formulae for small geometry blasting to estimate burden and throw have been developed. A unique sequence of firing and excavation with powder factor varying between 0.04 and 0.39 kg/m3 irrespective of the actual free face was used for rock blasting. The process controlled the throw of blasted material over the track and resulted in a smooth and stable wall. The slope angle has been changed from 80 to 82° to 45–47° and probability of wedge, planar and toppling failures was eliminated. About 100 such accident-prone slopes (52 km cumulative length, 7% of total route) situated at discrete locations along Konkan Railway route were stabilised using the technique. No incident of rockfall and slope failures along these slopes has been observed after the stabilisation.

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Abbreviations

DCB:

Directional controlled blasting

KRCL:

Konkan Railway Corporation Limited

RDSO:

Research Design and Standards Organization

KMPH:

Kilometre per hour

C1:

Veravali cutting

C2:

Amdalli cutting

C3:

Ulware cutting

RQD:

Rock quality designation

C:

Cohesion

ϕ :

Friction angle

σc :

Uniaxial compressive strength

γ:

Density of rock

σt :

Tensile strength

E :

Young’s modulus

mi :

Rock mass constant

RMR:

Rock mass rating

GSI:

Geological strength index

DF:

Disturbance factor (1 for poor blasting)

Jv :

Volumetric joint count number/m3

Jn:

Joint set (n = 1 to 5)

SL:

Slope orientation

H:

Horizontal

V:

Vertical

B:

Burden

S:

Spacing

db :

Diameter of hole

ρe :

Density of explosive

g:

Acceleration due to gravity

AWS:

Absolute weight strength

Vo :

Velocity of throw

TW :

Throw distance

β :

Trajectory exit angle

PF :

Powder factor

Dh/B :

Stiffness ratio

Dh :

Depth of hole

WH:

Wall side hole

PH:

Production hole

LH:

Ledge side hole

BH:

Buffer hole

Exp.:

Explosive

D-cord:

Detonating cord

CR:

Cord relay

Rn :

Row (n = 1 to 3)

Pb :

Borehole pressure

cd :

Velocity of detonation of explosive

de :

Diameter of explosives charge

Ra :

Axial decoupling

PPV:

Peak particle velocity

CPH:

Charge per hole

MCPD:

Maximum charge per delay

TC:

Total charge

σdt :

Dynamic tensile strength

Cp :

P wave velocity

Min.:

Minimum

Max.:

Maximum

Eq.:

Equation

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their thankfulness to Director (Works), Chief Engineer, Sr. Regional Engineer of Karwar & Ratnagiri and other officials of KRCL for providing necessary facilities during field investigations. The permission of competent authority of CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad, India, to publish the paper is thankfully acknowledged. Furthermore, the authors are also very much thankful to team members involved during the study and anonymous peer reviewers for their valuable comments to improve the quality of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Barwa Road, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, 826015, India

    N. K. Bhagat, M. M. Singh, Aditya Rana & P. K. Singh

  2. Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, 826004, India

    A. K. Mishra

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Bhagat, N.K., Mishra, A.K., Singh, M.M. et al. Innovative Directional Controlled Blasting Technique for Excavation of Unstable Slopes Along a Busy Transportation Route: a Case Study of Konkan Railway in India. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 37, 833–850 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00212-x

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