Blast Planning Services
SubTerra, Inc. supplements its Blast Engineering services with a complimentary suite of planning services commonly required in support of Close-In, Far Field, and Underground Blast Engineering projects.
Blast Permitting
SubTerra has been involved with permitting blasting activities at numerous urban and suburban quarries and construction sites. This has included preparing analyses for input to both SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) Checklists and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS). Analyses typically address potential impacts to structures, residents, water quality and quantity, landslide hazards, and wildlife. They may also include predictions of impacts to gas pipelines, fish, and fish habitats, if circumstances warrant..
Development of Regulations
SubTerra personnel have been involved with the development and revision of state blasting regulations.
Blast Optimization Programs
Blast Optimization Programs have been developed for both large-scale mining and smaller-scale drift and tunnel blasting applications. The purpose is to reduce drilling and explosives consumption, improve muckpile geometry and fragmentation, and control ground vibrations. The techniques used in diagnostic monitoring enable the detonation sequence to be analyzed in detail, especially in the cut, where most problems occur. Blast design problems such as sympathetic detonation and misfires can be quickly identified and corrected. Following analysis, twenty-to-thirty percent reductions in both explosive consumption and drilling times are typical.
Development of Regulations
SubTerra, Inc. personnel are involved with the development and revision of state blasting regulations.
Blast Permitting
SubTerra, Inc. has been involved with permitting blasting activities at numerous urban and suburban quarries and construction sites. This has included preparing analyses for input to both SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) Checklists and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS). Analyses typically address potential impacts to structures, residents, water quality and quantity, landslide hazards, and wildlife. They may also include predictions of impacts to gas pipelines, fish, and fish habitats, if circumstances warrant.
Far-Field and Compliance Vibration Monitoring:
We provide standard compliance monitoring relative to USBM/OSM limits, owner-specified limits, or other damage criteria. Regression analyses of test or production blast data are used to generate new “site laws” for use on future blasts. Near-Field Blast Monitoring is currently carried out using our fleet of Instantel Vibration Monitors. This equipment can be coupled to a wide range of sensors, including accelerometers, geophones, hydrophones, and specialized pressure sensors for monitoring near-field blast effects. Property Inspections that provide documentation for conditions prior to blasting, pile driving, or other vibration sources. Such inspections establish a baseline for evaluating possible vibration impacts on structures such as buildings, houses, or wells.
Warning Systems and Remote Data Access
We have developed wireless and internet based data acquisition systems that allow individual users to access their data from off-site and to receive both on site visual and off-site cell or e-mail notification when vibration thresholds are exceeded.
Monitoring Equipment Sales, Planning, and Rentals
SubTerra, Inc. is a licensed distributor of Instantel® Blast Monitoring Equipment. This instrumentation has been supplied for a broad range of uses ranging from standard compliance monitoring at quarries to specialized near field blast monitoring at Yucca Mountain and dynamic pore pressure monitoring in dam foundations. We offer both sales and rental of Instantel equipment.
Speak with a member of SubTerra’s team of Licensed Blasting Engineers to learn more about Instantel Monitoring or custom integration with our wide selection of supported instrumentation for use with the Minimate Pro IV, Micromate, and Minimate Pro products.
