Investigating the Impact of Air-Deck Techniques on Cavity Volume and Fragmentation in Multi-Hole Rock Blasting

Air-deck blasting technology is extensively utilized in mining operations to enhance rock fragmentation. Despite its widespread application, the efficacy of traditional air-deck approaches, namely bottom, top, and middle placements, in augmenting blast-induced rock fragmentation remains a subject of debate. To address these disparities, this study introduces an innovative hybrid air-deck technique tailored for multi-hole blasting scenarios. By integrating numerical simulations with concrete model blasting experiments, we establish a comprehensive multi-hole blasting model. This model features a staggered air layer arrangement among adjacent holes, ensuring the air spacer layer is uniformly distributed across both axial and radial dimensions. This strategic distribution aims to maximize the air spacer layer’s benefits, thereby improving rock fragmentation. Comparative analyses with continuous charging and conventional air-deck methods reveal that, in multi-hole blasting contexts, the novel hybrid air spacer layer configuration significantly enhances rock fragmentation, as evidenced by reduced average rock sizes and optimized explosives usage.