Stemming enhancement tests

摘要

A series of stemming confinement tests were conducted at a test site near Vernal, Utah. The purpose of the study was to determine the relative performance of various stemming enhancement "plugs", stem types and loading configurations. The stemming performance was quantified in terms of: Stem confinement tim Stem ejection velocity Ground swell velocity Ground vibration air blast Crater formation Of primary interest was the performance of a new spherical stemming enhancement plug. The initial findings indicate that the hard plastic spheres improved blast performance when used appropriately. Their ability to improve blast perofrmance is reduced when used in over confined or severely underconfined conditions.