Empirical and numerical analysis of the blast - induced structural damage in rock tunnels
One of the main hazards in rock tunneling by using the drill and blast method is the damage of the nearby pre-existing underground structures due to ground vibrations generated by the explosion. A simplified empirical approach is commonly adopted for the assessment of blast - induced structural damage, based on the peak particle velocity (PPV) and related empirical threshold values. A more sophisticated approach consists in numerical analysis of rock – sup-port interaction under the dynamic load induced by blasting.