Vibrations caused by various natural as well as anthropogenic factors occur on a daily basis in the urban and natural environments. While we cannot predict or control natural vibrations like earthquakes, we can control and plan anthropogenic factors.
Through this Master’s thesis I present blasting technology used in the fields of mining, geotechnical and construction work. The blasting technology causes vibrations in people, structures and the environment. The vibrations differ depending on the kind of blasting, distance of the construction, geological structure of the soil as well as constructional properties of the structures. For planning and control of the vibrations, guidelines are used in Europe and around the world, which are defined by different standards of the individual countries. The standards stipulate guidelines for calculating, measuring and setting vibration levels that affect the structures.
The two most important factors that affect the structure are wave speed, which travels through various geological types of ground towards the structure as well as the frequency of vibrations on the structure, since structures also possess their own frequencies.
Epidemiologic circumstances did not permit us to undertake measurements of vibrations caused by various blasting technologies and their influence, which is why I focused on already existing measurements of vibrations that I analysed according to different standards.
In the practical part of the thesis, I present the practical examples of frequency measurements of explosive blasts on three different locations. I used only measurements caused by blasts for creating underground construction space, extraction of mineral resources and deepening of river beds. In the analysis of the results of separate blasts, standards were used that are based on values of wave speeds of specific frequencies. For this I used the Austrian Standard ONÖRM 9020, German standard DIN 4150, Swiss standard SN 640 312a, British standard BS 7385, American standard USBM RI 8507 as well as the recommendations of the Republic of France’s Ministry of Environment.
In the conclusion of the dissertation, I present the comparison of the results of vibrations that are caused by different blasting technologies, as well as how the results meet the separate European standards.
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