Investigation of Blast-Induced Ground Vibrations, Air Overpressure, and Slope Stability in a Quarry: A Case Study

Abstract

This study investigates the environmental impacts and slope stability conditions associated with blasting activities conducted at a quarry located in Araklı district, Trabzon province, Türkiye. Ground vibration and air overpressure data from five separate blasts were recorded using an Instantel Micromate seismograph during field investigations. The collected data were analyzed and compared against the regulatory threshold limits specified in the updated 2022 Environmental Noise Control Regulation (ÇGKY) for mining and quarrying operations. Furthermore, comparative evaluations were made with the former Turkish standard, the USBM RI 8507 criteria from the United States, and the DIN 4150-3 standard used in Germany. The results show that vibration and air shock levels recorded from each blast remained within the permissible limits defined by all referenced standards. Field observations further confirm that the blasts did not induce structural damage in nearby residential buildings. Comparative analysis revealed that USBM RI 8507 and DIN 4150-3 standards offer more conservative protection thresholds than the current Turkish regulation. In addition, numerical slope stability analyses were conducted for the proposed quarry bench geometry under both static and dynamic (seismic) loading conditions. The calculated Safety Factor (SRF) exceeded 1.5, indicating that the slope is stable and not expected to be adversely affected by planned blasting operations within the quarry boundaries. Overall, this study provides a representative case for the systematic and comparative assessment of the environmental and geotechnical impacts of blasting operations in open-pit quarries, offering valuable insights for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes in similar projects.

Keywords

• Environmental Impact
• Air Shock
• Explosive Excavation
• Finite Element Method
• Slope Stability
• Vibration Measurement

Taş Ocağında Patlatmalı Kazı Kaynaklı Zemin Titreşimleri, Hava Şoku ve Şev Duraylılığının İncelenmesi: Örnek Bir Uygulama

Abstract

Bu çalışma kapsamında, Trabzon ili Araklı ilçesinde faaliyet gösteren bir taşocağında gerçekleştirilen patlatmalı kazıların çevresel etkileri, kazı sonrası ve sismik yük etkisindeki duraylılığı ve buna ek olarak özellikle en yakın yerleşim yerinde oluşturabileceği titreşim ve hava şoku değerlendirilmiştir. Arazi çalışmaları sürecinde, Instantel Micromate marka sismograf ile beş farklı patlatma sırasında ölçümler alınmış ve veriler analiz edilmiştir. Elde edilen veriler, 2022 yılında yenilenen “Çevresel Gürültü Kontrol Yönetmeliği” (ÇGKY) kapsamında maden ve taş ocakları için belirlenen yeni sınır değerlerle karşılaştırılmış; ayrıca eski Türk standardı, USBM RI 8507 (USA) ve DIN 4150-3 (Alman) standartlarıyla karşılaştırmalı analizi gerçekleştirilmiştir. Yapılan değerlendirmeler sonucunda, ölçülen yer sarsıntısı ve hava şoku düzeylerinin her bir patlatma için ilgili yönetmelik sınırlarının altında kaldığı, arazide yapılan gözlemler sonucunda da en yakın yerleşim alanlarındaki yapılarda yapısal hasara yol açmayacağı belirlenmiştir. Karşılaştırmalı analizler ise yeni Türk standardı ile DIN 4150-3 ve USBM standartlarının daha koruyucu yaklaşımlar sunduğunu göstermiştir. Taş ocağı işletmesi için tasarlanan şev geometrisi kazı sonrası mevcut durumda ve sismik yük etkisinde duraylılık değerlendirmesi yapılmış ve güvenlik sayısının SRF>1.5 olduğu belirlenmiştir. Böylece duraylılık değerlendirmesinde elde edilen güvenlik sayısı ve deformasyonlar, işletme sınırlarında yapılacak patlatmalı kazı işleminden etkilenmeyeceği öngörülmektedir. Bu çalışma, taşocaklarında gerçekleştirilen patlatmalı kazıların çevresel etkilerinin yasal sınırlar çerçevesinde sistematik ve karşılaştırmalı olarak değerlendirilmesi ve ocak duraylılığına yönelik örnek bir uygulama sunmakta olup, benzer projeler için “Çevresel Etki Değerlendirme” (ÇED) süreçlerinde kaynak olarak değerlendirilebilir.

Keywords

• Çevresel Etki
• Hava Şoku
• Patlatmalı Kazı
• Sonlu Elemanlar Yöntemi
• Şev Duraylılığı
• Titreşim Ölçümü

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