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Seismic Signals from Mining Operations and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Comments on a Draft Report by a Department of Energy Working Group (1998) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix A: Specific Comments on the Draft Report of the DOE-Working Group Report
Pages 33-42

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From page 36...
... Less subdrilling in hard rock mines will produce irregular pit floors that are not cut to grade and on which equipment may be difficult to operate. Delay Period Specific delay periods are not recommended in the DOE Working Group report.
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From page 37...
... Use of Programmable Detonators The DOE Working Group stated that "precise, programmable electronic detonators hold considerable promise in the control of blast induced ground vibrations by eliminating the inherent scatter in the detonator firing times and providing unlunited choice of delay intervals." However, programmable detonators are not widely available at this time and their projected costs (3 to 10 times the costs of currently available electric and nonelectric detonators) cannot be justified based only on the reliabilities measured under ideal (non-field)
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From page 38...
... . Unplanned failures include catastrophic events such as pillar collapses, coal bumps, and rock bursts.
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From page 39...
... In typical mining operations in the United States, cascading pillar failures are rare, unlike coal bumps, and improved mine design techniques are likely to further reduce such pillar collapse events. Pillars usually fail due to secondary extraction in room-and-pillar operations.
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From page 40...
... has a portion labeled "safe damage zone," whereas in the referenced Office of Surface Mining chart, that portion is labeled the "safe blasting zone." The level below which seismic signals from mining operations should be of no concern, in terms of visibility, is not adequately defined or discussed. For example, are events only with seismic signals above ML = 3.0 relevant to CART monitoring or
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From page 41...
... However, for mining seismicit,v, this correlation is poor. This is because delayed detonation procedures distribute the P wave over a hme window lasting up to several seconds; the shorter period signals (like Sv or Rg)
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Key Terms

  • seismic signals
  • mining operations
  • hard rock
  • delay intervals
  • mine blast

  • decoupled charges
  • design techniques
  • initiation timing
  • seismic visibility
  • coal mine

  • mining practices
  • explosive detonation
  • pillar collapses
  • report recommends
  • mine site

  • mine design
  • pillar failures
  • blast design
  • frequency responses
  • mining operation

  • unplanned failures
  • coal mining
  • catastrophic events
  • subgrade drilling
  • cascading pillar

  • natural frequencies
  • coal bumps
  • ground motion
  • timing include
  • considerable promise


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