Non-explosive blasting agent for granite rock

[clansing1]

I have a granite rock to remove that is in the middle of a vacant lot in a new housing development. Instead of drilling and blasting with conventional explosives, I was thinking about trying to break it apart with a non-explosive blasting agent. I was wondering what is the best product to use.

I would drill the rock with a Brunner and Lay button bit in several locations and then use the the non-explosive blasting agent to crack it.

I've read that Dexpan needs to be drilled on 1' grid and 90% depth of the rock. This would be a lot holes and 9' depth.

Am I better off to drill and crack with a small conventional charge?

Thanks in advance.

Granite Rock Size - 15'x15'x10'

[heavylift]

there always a rock splitter

http://www.crowdersupply.com/darda-rock-splitters.htm

I don't know if this is the actual brand we used... but you drill a hole... put some kind of goop on the wedges... insert the tool ... then break the rock or concrete...

I works ...:)

[95zIV]

there always a rock splitter

http://www.crowdersupply.com/darda-rock-splitters.htm

I don't know if this is the actual brand we used... but you drill a hole... put some kind of goop on the wedges... insert the tool ... then break the rock or concrete...

I works ...:)


They also make a air version of those. We used one on a job I was working where we couldn't blast because we were in a tunnel with a building right on top of it. They work fantastic and a whole bunch easier then explosives.

[xcavate]

Using the nonexplosive stuff is extremely expensive. It really depends on how hard the rock is. If the rock isnt to hard the stuff will work. On really hard rocks it does nothing at all. I would use explosives if you can.

[clansing1]

Very Interesting.
Would these rock splitters work on a large granite rock?
Thanks in advance.

[95zIV]

The only thing with the splitters is I think that you would have to do it in lifts. But if you're trying to avoid blasting then they are probably the best way to go. We where using ours in some pretty hard limestone and it wasn't even working to make a split.

[heavylift]

http://www.crowdersupply.com/spalteinsatz_rio.htm

break solid granite like butter.... so their website says...

we've used them in a very hard limestone...and very high psi concrete....

give them a call

[clansing1]

Thanks for the replys.

We are trying to avoid using explosives because their are several houses very close. We can prevent the flying debris, but are concerned with a ripple effect with the clay dirt that surrounds this rock.

If we could split it into a couple of smaller pieces, we thought of digging a large hole next to it and rolling/pulling it in.

I'm going to give the rock splitters a call and see if there are any local contractors that would come out and attempt to split it.

[Cornishross]

Hi I've used a product called Crakag to split over size granite boulders in quarrys and a mill base in my yard and its worked fine. Never done any thing to the scale that your looking at but I would of thought it would be ok as long as you drill the right holes in the right places.

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd49/rosssheppard/skidrigssplittingcementrivermay13014.jpg

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd49/rosssheppard/DSC00016.jpg

I've had the opposite experience with hardness of rock. It works well on really hard rock and not so well on soft rock as the rock just absorbs the energy if its soft.

Ross

[Cornishross]

The other method we used was a Boulder Burster. It uses a small explosive charge similar to shotgun cartridge in a hole drilled in the rock and filled with water the shock wave through the water cracks the rock.

Heres a video of one in action, Not mine though!

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FaYZ7Jh6jT8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FaYZ7Jh6jT8&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Ross

[Cornishross]

oops that didn't work heres the link:

YouTube - Boulderbuster blowing up stones in Norway (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaYZ7Jh6jT8&feature=related)

[stock]

rockbuster (http://www.magnumbuster.com/)

[Nac]

The non explosive agent works fine I have broken 100,000 ton + with this process. But for a small rock that size I would use a Darda #12 splitter. "I've read that Dexpan needs to be drilled on 1' grid and 90% depth of the rock" You need to drill the pattern 10x hole dia. i drill 45mm hole dia so 18" OC works fine.for a 15'x15x10' rock you need about 100 holes at 9' deep you need 26 boxes of chemical at a cost of 100 ea do you plan on drillinf by hand?

[Cornishross]

Nac is that a drill feed mounted on the excavator in the foreground of your picture? If it is have you got any more pictures of it?

Cheers

[Nac]

Nac is that a drill feed mounted on the excavator in the foreground of your picture? If it is have you got any more pictures of it?

Cheers

Yes it is

[clansing1]

I have not been able to find a hydraulic drill that I can rent to attach to an excavator, so it looks like hand drilling with a pneumatic rock drill.

I don't think we will need to drill on 18" o.c. since we will be just trying to split the rock into manageable pieces. We are thinking 16 holes in a criss cross fashion will do it.

We are still debating on whether to use less holes and go will the normal blasting. But this means more insurance cost, getting permits from the city, risk of property damage from vibration, etc.

[Cornishross]

Nice bit of kit Nac looks pretty light!

We made this DTH setup for a job drilling 4 inch holes our boss doesn't do light weight! We ran a swing ram off the aux circuit on the digger and pneumatic rotation and feed.

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd49/rosssheppard/100620101928.jpg

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd49/rosssheppard/170620102005.jpg

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd49/rosssheppard/170620102011.jpg