A new damage criteria norm for blast-induced ground vibrations in Turkey

Environmental problems such as vibration and air blast are often faced and discussed in mining, quarrying, civil construction, shaft tunnel, pipeline, and dam operations, where blasting is inevitable. It is necessary to establish national standards in order to minimize environmental problems induced by blasting and judicial matters in our country as it is in the USA, European Union (EU) countries, and other developed countries. This necessity and the obligation of Turkey, which has started the procedure of joining the EU, to accept EU criteria emphasize the importance of this study. In other words, the establishment of a particular national standard related with this subject is inevitable for Turkey. This will be possible only by studying and applying scientific methods and techniques by experts. This paper presents a new damage criterion norm for blast-induced ground vibrations in Turkey. In this study, first, numerous vibration records were taken in blasting operations performed at different sites and rock units. For these rock units, particle velocity predictions and frequency analysis were done. At the same time, structures in the neighborhoods of these blasts were also observed and investigated. Finally, a damage criterion norm based on risk analysis was established and proposed by using these collected data. In light of the norm to be obtained from the data that were collected in the research, it will lead the excavation work in our country to be performed in such way that they are more effective and will cause minimum environmental problems.