Effect of blasting on the bench stability at the Demirbilek open-pit mine

Blasting is the most commonly used excavation technique in mining and civil engineering applications. It induces strong ground motions and fracturing of rock mass in its close vicinity. Blasting may also induce some instability problems within open-pit mines as well as in adjacent structures near the mines. This article is concerned with the effect of blasting on the stability of open-pit benches and their responses at the Demirbilek open-pit mine operated by Ege Lignite Enterprise. The authors performed ground motion measurements during blasting operations, in situ exploration of rock mass and laboratory experiments, geomechanical laboratory experiments of rock blocks subjected to shock waves and numerical analyses on the stability and responses of benches of the Demirbilek open-pit mine. It was found that blasting operations may induce step-wise permanent ground movements and that the accumulation of these permanent movements results in the failure of benches eventually.