Application of baby deck initiation to reduce coal damage during cast blasting

ABSTRACT The extra explosive energy used in cast blasting reduces the amount of overburden to be handled by the machinery but increases the risk of damage to the underlying coal. This damage will lead to reduced coal recovery and may negate much of the benefit sought from cast blasting. The Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre in close association with the Australian open cut coal mining industry has conducted a blast monitoring program to understand and quantify the role of cast blasting in coal damage and loss. This paper attempts to explain the mechanisms of coal damage and the influence of toe confinement on coal damage during cast blasting.