EXPLOSIVES GROUP

Coordinator: Dr. Jacopo Seccatore

The Explosives Group at NAP.Mineração/USP is a research group dedicated to developing the state of the art in blasting engineering and applying it responsibly in mining companies of any scale.

Responsible management of blasting activities involves safety and health as overriding and imperative concerns, but other aspects characterize a responsible explosives operation. The economic aspect is essential for a responsible company to meet productivity targets and protect equity value: results of incorrect fragmentation or disregard for excavation contours can affect productivity; damage to structures or equipment due to the impact of ultra launches can lead to premature depreciation of the company’s assets.

The environmental aspect, by the way, is a daily problem for companies that work with blasting activities in an anthropic environment: ground vibration and overpressure control are increasingly becoming a central aspect in the planning and management of explosive blasting. Modern planning and design is evolving to meet these challenges.

The Explosives Group at NAP.Mineração/USP operates with an integrated management methodology for rock blasting with explosives, researching and acting to increase the profitability of the operation by optimizing comminution, improving control over the granulometry of products to maximize results processes, increase operational safety, reduce environmental impacts, and improve geotechnical control of slopes and underground spaces.