In order to assess the ability of a rock, by extension a rock-mass, to produce specified results (amount of fines, fragmentation in general) when blasted, this method will consist in the following steps:
- Perform laboratory rock-mechanic tests on usual rock samples (dm3) in order to determine the constitutive law of the material;
- Perform small-scaled laboratory blasts on rock samples (m3) while measuring resulting fragmentation;
- Derive the specific fragmentation law for this rock when submitted to high stress and strain rate (as it is the case in blasting);
- Perform numerical simulations, using a 3D dynamic numerical model, in order to predict the dynamic (time evolution) distribution of stress and displacement and thus get an idea of the fragmentation for given loading (i.e. blasting) conditions.
This method should enable to estimate the result of varying blasting parameters (energy of explosives, timing of initiation) within a rock-mass of this rock-type in a relative way (variation but not absolute).