Predict the result of a mine blasting. Who has not dreamed of having that prediction tool? The use of explosives produces results that are often said to be “unpredictable” due to the impulsive characteristic of a detonation and the devastating effects of explosives. Contemporary scientific knowledge allows a better understanding of these effects. The DNA-Blast model, based on 15 years of research, proposes to take this path. Although the current approach comes from highly documented studies and notwithstanding its usefulness to the industry (for example, the Kuzram model, the Chapot law), they do not take into account the full parameters of an explosion. Despite the widespread use of electronic initiations, it is notable that none of the models take into account the initiation sequence.
The DNA-Blast model is not intended to solve the effects of an explosion by a “pure” universal equation using a very pragmatic approach. The complexity of the mechanism is represented by dividing it into interconnected elementary mechanisms. Modeling each elementary mechanism (called “gene”) and the associated linking schemes provides the general description of the mechanism.
The model, validated by measurements at the site with respect to fragmentation or vibration, allows a new proven approach to blasting design, thanks to its ability to simulate fragmentation, vibration, rock flight and pile shape simultaneously.