Study on Blastability Classification of Rock Mass in SICOMINES Copper-cobalt Mine, DRC

The scientific assessment of rock mass blastability performs two key roles by providing vital guidance for engineering blasting plan design and optimization, as well as creating essential standards for choosing suitable drilling equipment, explosives, and related blasting materials. A systematic evaluation approach integrating conventional Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP) methodology with extension matter-element modeling was developed to assess rock mass blastability characteristics at the SICOMINES Copper-cobalt Mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with scientific rigor and practical feasibility. The study identifies four key assessment parameters for rock mass blastability classification that align with both the evaluation framework and site-specific mining conditions, including rock type(X₁), compressive strength(X₂), ore-rock density(X₃), and tensile strength(X₄). An extension of the matter element model was constructed to classify the blastability of the rock mass in the study area into 5 distinct categories, ranging from grade Ⅰ, representing extremely easy blasting conditions, to grade Ⅴ, indicating extremely difficult blasting conditions. Intermediate grades Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ correspond to easy, medium, and difficult blasting conditions, respectively. The correlation degree matrix analysis was performed to assess blastability characteristics of three geological layers(CMN, RAT, and RSC) in the mining area, with results indicating grade Ⅳ(difficult) for the CMN layer, grade Ⅲ(medium) for the RAT layer, and grade Ⅱ(easy) for the RSC layer, demonstrating strong alignment with observed field conditions. The findings demonstrate that this approach requires minimal training, uses sample features and straightforward calculations, and has high practical applicability, while serving as both a valuable foundation for engineering blasting design optimization and an innovative technique for assessing rock mass blastability.