BLASTEC GETTING STARTED
Contents 1. Installation 2. Running the Surface part 3. Running the Tunnel part 1. Installation (Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP) - Close all active sessions. Please note that hardware key of USB type has to be removed before starting the installation. - Insert the CD-ROM. - Click Start and then Run. Alternatively got to the CD drive in Windows Explorer. - Double click the file Setup and the installation starts. - Follow the instructions. - Unless the installation of the hardware key driver is disabled during the installation of Blastec, it will automatically be installed after the installation of the Blastec files. Please note that the USB key does not work in Windows NT and that OSR2 is required for Windows 95 when using USB key. - Period (.) has to be used as decimal separator. Should the PC use comma (,), this has to be changed in the Control Panel (Very important!). In the Control Panel click National Settings or Regional Options where the change can be done under the tab Number. 2. Running the Surface part - Check that the hardware key is connected. - Double-click the icon of the module you want to run. If several modules are to be run, using common input, you have to start with Drilling and Charging. 2.1 Drilling and Charging - If Drilling and Charging is selected, you can use the file that is automatically loaded, you can open a new file or you can start from the beginning by choosing New from the File menu. - Before continuing, you also have the possibility to change Type of Calculation from the Options menu. If a change of Type of Calculation is done, it might be necessary to modify some of the data to fit this new type of calculation. - Please note that for some types of calculations, for instance Max 5 Types of Blasts, each page has to be completed up to 5 times, depending on the number of alternatives. To switch between the alternatives, use the command buttons on the right side of the page.
- When all input pages are completed, Result or Graphics may be selected from the Menu menu. If you later want to create a firing pattern, you have to create a drilling pattern in the Graphics part. In this case the number of holes is limited to about 500. - When printing on paper, use Portrait for text and Landscape for graphics. Do not forget to select a suitable font, like Courier, size 11. - If you want to continue in another module, save your file in the File menu. This is however necessary only if you want to save it for later use. Then select Exit from the File menu. Select the icon of the module you want to run, and double-click it. Relevant data will now be transmitted from Drilling and Charging to this module. Please note! - To get reasonable hole patterns for normal blastings, and consequently also a reasonable fragmentation, a demand on the mean fragment size has to be used (first page Input Drilling and Charging). Normally this demand will be about 0.35-0.40 metres. 2.2 Cost Estimation - This module is a kind of spreadsheet where the calculations are performed automatically when data is entered or changed. - Prices of explosives and primers are automatically entered from the product lists when technical data are transmitted from Drilling and Charging. If required the data may of course be changed. If the module is separately used, the prices can be entered manually or from the price lists. This is also the case for prices of firing devices. - In the main calculation firing costs are based on cost/hole and drilling costs on cost/drillmeter. As an option there are help pages available where these costs may be calculated more in detail. - The command Add (under File) is used when switching between Cost Estimation and Drilling and Charging to study several alternatives from both a technical and an economical point of view. When saving input data before closing Cost Estimation, it is possible to maintain input data entered in Cost Estimation, like product prices, capacities, data for firing devices, etc. when coming back next time from Drilling and Charging. This is done by using Add. The difference between Add and Open is that only some of the data is opened when using Add. 2.3 Fragmentation Distribution - If this module is used together with Drilling and Charging necessary data is transmitted, except the slope of the distribution curve (n). Further information will be found in the file Calc background Surf Blast. 2.4 Crack Zone - Further information of background, etc. will be found in the file Calc background Surf Blast. 2.5 Firing Plan - In this module firing patterns for different firing systems may be designed, provided that a drilling pattern has been designed previously in Drilling and Charging. This means that the Graphic part at least has been opened. - If the drilling pattern has been edited by changing the number of holes, the firing pattern will not be created.
- One signal path only may be connected. - Normally when using Nonel Unidet, connection can t be done back towards the face. There are however some exceptions at contour blasting. - When connecting Nonel Unidet between rows, only one new εclip may be connected from each εclip. (Like below, 25 ms, not 17 ms and 25 ms) 2.6 Vibrations - - This module makes it possible to * calculate Max cooperative charge by two different methods. * calculate the vibration value based on Swedish Standard SS 460 48 66. * by Regression analysis, based on test blasts, estimate the constants in one of the methods above. 3. Running the Tunnel part - The tunnel part of Blastec consists of seven different parts, * Input Drilling and Charging * Pattern Data * Graphics * Charging Data * Co-ordinates * Cost Estimation * Project Data When starting the program, Input Drilling and Charging is always displayed. From here it is possible to enter any other part of the program by clicking the appropriate button or by the Menu in the menu line. However, if any changes are carried out in any other part of the program, it is important to enter the different parts in the correct order (see below). - Files may be saved in following parts * Input Drilling and Charging (*.tbl) Main input of the actual calculation. * Pattern Data (*.hls) Only to be used if for instance calculated pattern is changed, and the new values are to be saved for later use. * Customised cut (*.cut) Cut designed by the user. * Graphics (*.tgl) To be used if the plot of the drill pattern is changed and the new plot has to be saved for later use. For instance, the plot normally has to be revised when the pattern includes a cut. Please note that all three pages are saved. Also note that to be able to open a tgl-file, input in Drilling and Charging has to be exactly the same as it was when the tgl-file was created the first time. * Cost Estimation (*.kst) Is used to save cost input as well as selection of detonators.
- It is very important to be familiar to how data is saved and how it affects other parts of the program. Suppose you are entering Graphics from Input Drilling and Charging, and the drill pattern is revised by changing the original number of holes. If you then for instance want a Charging Table, a table of Co-ordinates or a Cost Calculation, it is important not to pass Input Drilling and Charging, as this would result in a new calculation and the original number of holes is restored. Input Drilling and Charging is in this way unique, compared to the other parts, as a change previously made in another part may be ruined as soon as Input Drilling and Charging is entered. To avoid problems, it is recommended (particularly before you are familiar to the program) to enter the different parts in the same order as they are listed in Menu, which is the same as the order of the buttons. - The number of holes of each hole type may also be changed in Charging Data by clicking the number you want to change. As this change does not affect any other part of the program we instead recommend making this type of changes in the Graphics part. - When printing, Portrait has to be selected for pages of text and Landscape for graphics. This selection has to be done by the user in the usual way. - In cross sections where a cut is included, the cut is placed in the middle at a height decided by the user. To facilitate the possibilities to move the cut to another position, the stoping holes are plotted like there was no cut. This means that the user has to finalise the plotting of the stoping holes next to the cut. - Centre of Cut above Floor is selected in Input Drilling and Charging. Despite this, it is possible to move the cut in the Graphics part. The selected position means that the program calculates stoping holes upwards/ horizontally up to the upper edge of the cut and stoping holes downwards above this line. This is something to keep in mind when moving the cut upwards or downwards. It also means that if the rows of stoping holes in the cut region are found to be to close to each other, or to far from each other, this may be adjusted in Input Drilling and Charging by a small change of the centre of the cut. - Particularly in small cross sections there may be a deviation between the plotted drill pattern in Graphics and the pattern expected by the user. Primarily this may be adjusted (if possible) by changing burden and/or hole spacing in Pattern Data. Special attention has to be paid to reduced rows next to floor, walls and roof, as these holes almost always are plotted using maximum burden (in the same way as the contour holes). Particularly in small cross sections this may result in a larger burden of these holes than of the stoping holes. - In the Graphics part it is possible to move the entire cross section within the frame on the screen by clickng the boundary holes, one hole to the left, one to the right, one at the top and one at the bottom. A box is then surrounding the picture, which may be dragged to desired position. The size may be changed by zoom (temporary) or by change of scale. When moving a single hole, or cut, it is clicked and dragged to the desired position. Several holes may be moved simultaneously by marking a box as explained above. The grid (1 x 1 meter) may be activated or not. The functions of all buttons will also be found in the menu line. - A Firing Plan may be designed for Nonel LP as well as for an optional system. For Nonel LP the actual number is clicked in the list box, followed by clicking of the holes, which are allocated this period number. In the other case the actual box is double clicked, followed by entering the period number. Then press Enter or double-click next box. If required, one or several letters may combine the period number. Addition is automatically carried out in the table on the right hand side. If a period number is to be changed, doubleclick the number and change it by Delete or Backspace. The Firing Pattern is saved in the same file as the other two pictures in Graphics. The last picture in Graphics, page 3 Charging Plan, cannot be changed. On the other hand it is possible to add any text below Notes. Delete or Backspace may remove it. - To display number of detonators in Project Data, it is necessary first to select type, etc in Cost Estimation. The selection made in Graphics when designing firing pattern is not transmitted further within the program.
- Selection of detonators in Cost Estimation is carried out as follows: * Click the first empty line below Pcs/round * Click the list box * Select type of detonator from the list box * A figure equal to the number of holes is displayed * If more types are to be used, change the number to the correct number, using Delete or Backspace * Click next empty line and select next type of detonator from the list box * The figure displayed is now equal to what remains from the total number of holes * Repeat this for all types of detonators * When all types of detonators are selected, the total sum should be equal to the total number of holes * If Bunch connectors are to be used, type the number of it on next empty line * Select Bunch connectors from the list box * Total number of units is now equal to the number of holes plus the number of Bunch connectors - If a cost file is opened, it is important to remember that only data deriving from the Cost part of the program is affected. For example, this implies that the number of holes is not affected, which may result in an incorrect number of holes in present calculation. This may be the result if a file is opened in Input Drilling and Charging and directly after this a file in the Cost part is opened. If the number of holes then has been changed in a previous calculation, by editing the drill pattern in the Graphics part, Graphics has to be passed also this time and the actual file has to be opened. This procedure then gives the correct number of holes when entering the Cost part. It is very important to learn how this is working. - An example file (Normal Profile Type) is included in the program, and can be opened in Input Drilling and Charging (ExE_TNormal.tbl), in Graphics (ExE_TNormal.tgl), provided no changes have been made in Input Drilling and Charging, and in Cost Estimation (ExE_TNormal.kst). These files assume English language. Corresponding files are also available for Swedish language.