Improving mining activity outcomes through impedance imaging

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The development of the electronic detonator has created a large level of flexibility in modern blasting applications. Detonators' timing can be minutely varied to allow exact optimization of blast patterns according to the rock and soil properties. They can also be programmed after explosive placement and loading. These two key features of electronic detonators offer a great opportunity to optimize blast patterns and increase efficiency of mining operations. The configuration of boreholes for explosive placement and loading as well as detonator timing are typically optimized using blast physics software relying on general information about rock and soil properties obtained from pre-blast surveys and experience from previous blasts in similar conditions. Obtaining site-specific information about discontinuities in rock formations, water level and saturation as well as areas damaged from previous neighboring blast operations would greatly increase the accuracy of blast physics software to optimize blast planning and improve mining activity outcomes.