Use of Air-Decks to Reduce Subdrillings in Escondida Mine

Abstract

This paper aims to show the results and comparison obtained from blasting using overdrilled blastholes and blasting using a bottom of the blasthole located air-deck. The effect of using a blasthole air-deck, on medium to low hardness rock found in the western area of the Escondida pit, helped maintain the required grade level even after loading with heavy equipment. Additional benefits include satisfactory fragmentation of the blasted material.