Study of the mechanical properties of the granitoid rocks and
the influence of blasting parameters on the quality of
aggregates: literature reserach

Abstract: In order to carry out blasting operation with optimal results the influence
of rock properties on fragmentation process and the quality of the
aggregates should be studied with the proper thoroughness.
Recent investigations of granitoid rocks infer that the resistance of rock
to abrasion improves with increasing amount of quartz and feldspar. The
increasing amount of mica results in the opposite effect. The resistance of
granite to the impact effects improves with the increasing amount of mica
and decreasing content of feldspar. Another finding states that flakiness
positively influenced by the frequency of micro cracks, on the other hand,
the increasing micro cracks frequency negatively affects on the rock
strength. For practical reasons it can be concluded that safety blasting
decreases the propagation of micro cracks, hence improves the quality of
the rock material. To obtain desired quality of aggregates the blasting
parameters and the types of explosives should be properly considered.
This thesis work presents the review of the modern literature concerning
the blasting operations and aggregates production. It combines both
theoretical and practical parts. It describes the petrographical and
mechanical properties of the granitoid rocks, different laboratory tests
for mechanical properties and results, types and features of explosives,
the parameters that intervene in blast designing and influence of blasting
on rock aggregates. The rock mass properties greatly affect the blasting
results and the quality of aggregates. However, it’s hard to extend this
conclusion on full-scale blasting operations in mines and quarries, because
the nature and properties of the rock mass change significantly over the
short distances.