Hydrodemolition and drill and blast: A new way to improve tunnel contour quality

Abstract Drill and Blast is one of the most utilized excavation methods due to its cost and adaptation capability. One undesirable feature, however, is the contour shape quality of the blasted cavity. It is usually larger and rougher than planned. This characteristic is related to the crack generate...

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Main Authors: Rafael Pacheco dos Santos, Marcos Aurélio Marques Noronha, Patrícia de Oliveira Faria, Thiane Pereira Poncetta Coliboro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Fundação Gorceix 2025-01-01
Series:REM: International Engineering Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2448-167X2025000100204&lng=en&tlng=en
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author Rafael Pacheco dos Santos
Marcos Aurélio Marques Noronha
Patrícia de Oliveira Faria
Thiane Pereira Poncetta Coliboro
author_facet Rafael Pacheco dos Santos
Marcos Aurélio Marques Noronha
Patrícia de Oliveira Faria
Thiane Pereira Poncetta Coliboro
author_sort Rafael Pacheco dos Santos
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Drill and Blast is one of the most utilized excavation methods due to its cost and adaptation capability. One undesirable feature, however, is the contour shape quality of the blasted cavity. It is usually larger and rougher than planned. This characteristic is related to the crack generated by blasting that propagates until it finds a discontinuity. Some methods for overbreak and roughness control are used but they are far from perfect. One option is to replace explosives with the High-Power Abrasive Water Jet (HPAWJ) Technique for rock cutting the perimeter; a necessary step before execution of the Pre-Splitting Technique. These two techniques can create one free surface, with good roughness, capable of avoiding the crack propagation during the blast process. In this article, through a qualitative comparative research, an adaptive cycle is proposed, based on Drill and Blast, that uses HPAWJ for cutting the perimeter. In addition to the improvement on the tunnel wall roughness, this change can reduce the excavation-damage zone and the overbreak, which leads to a reduction of the amounts of shotcrete and muck, consequently reducing the need for transportation.
format Article
id doaj-art-5d56c02982514864a55247da40e2ac7d
institution Kabale University
issn 2448-167X
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Fundação Gorceix
record_format Article
series REM: International Engineering Journal
spelling doaj-art-5d56c02982514864a55247da40e2ac7d2025-01-14T07:38:14ZengFundação GorceixREM: International Engineering Journal2448-167X2025-01-0178110.1590/0370-44672024780014Hydrodemolition and drill and blast: A new way to improve tunnel contour qualityRafael Pacheco dos Santoshttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6253-0216Marcos Aurélio Marques Noronhahttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0993-1728Patrícia de Oliveira Fariahttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1257-002XThiane Pereira Poncetta Coliborohttps://orcid.org/0009-0006-0347-4684Abstract Drill and Blast is one of the most utilized excavation methods due to its cost and adaptation capability. One undesirable feature, however, is the contour shape quality of the blasted cavity. It is usually larger and rougher than planned. This characteristic is related to the crack generated by blasting that propagates until it finds a discontinuity. Some methods for overbreak and roughness control are used but they are far from perfect. One option is to replace explosives with the High-Power Abrasive Water Jet (HPAWJ) Technique for rock cutting the perimeter; a necessary step before execution of the Pre-Splitting Technique. These two techniques can create one free surface, with good roughness, capable of avoiding the crack propagation during the blast process. In this article, through a qualitative comparative research, an adaptive cycle is proposed, based on Drill and Blast, that uses HPAWJ for cutting the perimeter. In addition to the improvement on the tunnel wall roughness, this change can reduce the excavation-damage zone and the overbreak, which leads to a reduction of the amounts of shotcrete and muck, consequently reducing the need for transportation.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2448-167X2025000100204&lng=en&tlng=endrill and blast techniqueshape contour qualityhydrodemolition.
spellingShingle Rafael Pacheco dos Santos
Marcos Aurélio Marques Noronha
Patrícia de Oliveira Faria
Thiane Pereira Poncetta Coliboro
Hydrodemolition and drill and blast: A new way to improve tunnel contour quality
REM: International Engineering Journal
drill and blast technique
shape contour quality
hydrodemolition.
title Hydrodemolition and drill and blast: A new way to improve tunnel contour quality
title_full Hydrodemolition and drill and blast: A new way to improve tunnel contour quality
title_fullStr Hydrodemolition and drill and blast: A new way to improve tunnel contour quality
title_full_unstemmed Hydrodemolition and drill and blast: A new way to improve tunnel contour quality
title_short Hydrodemolition and drill and blast: A new way to improve tunnel contour quality
title_sort hydrodemolition and drill and blast a new way to improve tunnel contour quality
topic drill and blast technique
shape contour quality
hydrodemolition.
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2448-167X2025000100204&lng=en&tlng=en
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AT patriciadeoliveirafaria hydrodemolitionanddrillandblastanewwaytoimprovetunnelcontourquality
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