A Dimensional Analysis Approach to Study Blast-Induced Ground Vibration

The prediction of ground vibration is of great importance in the alleviation of the detrimental effects of blasting. Therefore, a vibration control study to minimize the harm of ground vibration and its influence on nearby structures can play an important role in the mining industry. In this paper, a dimensional analysis (DA) technique has been performed on various blast design parameters to propose a new formula for the prediction of the peak particle velocity (PPV). After obtaining the DA formula, 105 data sets were used to determine the unknown coefficients of the DA equation, as well as site constants of different conventional predictor equations. Then, 12 new blast data sets were used to compare the capability of the DA formula with conventional predictor equations. The results were compared based on the coefficient of determination and mean absolute error between measured and predicted values of the PPV.