Optimal drill and blast design is a process often neglected by many
underground hard rock mines. This is even more important to the new
mine where ring designs need to be implemented and refined in a short
period of time. In today's environment where more and more mining is
being carried out by contract specialists it is the co-operation between a
principal and contractor, who are working towards a common goal, that
achieves the highest quality end result. The development of drill and blast designs that cause minimal damage
to the mine infrastructure is particularly important to Northparke's E26
Block Cave Mine, as it consists of a single extraction level which must
survive intact for the life of the mine. The advanced undercut mining
method implemented at Northparkes is fired in a sequence which protects
the mine development from potentially damaging abutment stress. This paper details how blast designs will be optimised and sequenced
to satisfy the conflicting objectives of maximum rock breakage inside the
drill pattern and minimum rock damage outside the pattern.