Production Drilling and Blasting

Unit Outline (Higher Education)

   
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Effective Term: 2025/08
Institute / School :Institute of Innovation, Science & Sustainability
Unit Title: Production Drilling and Blasting
Unit ID: ENGPG9402
Credit Points: 15.00
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Co-requisite(s): Nil
Exclusion(s): Nil
ASCED: 039999
Other Change:  
Brief description of the Unit

This unit qualifies participants to apply an advanced body of knowledge in the area of drilling and blasting in mining and equips them with highly developed skills for research and enquiry. Students enrolled in this course will be able to apply the body of knowledge to a range of contexts within the mining industry enabling them to undertake professional or highly skilled work within the mining industry and allow them to undertake further study

Grade Scheme: Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF)
Work Experience Indicator:
No work experience
Placement Component: No
Supplementary Assessment:Yes
Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment
Course Level:
Level of Unit in CourseAQF Level(s) of Course
5678910
Introductory                                        
Intermediate                                                
Advanced                                                
Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge:
K1.

Understand and outline drilling and blasting in mines

K2.

Select appropriate explosives, initiation systems, and fragmentation optimisation techniques

K3.

Analyse the environmental effect of blasting

Skills:
S1.

Appraise, consolidate and synthesise knowledge and identify and provide solutions to complex drilling and blasting problems

S2.

Evaluate the environmental impact of drilling and blasting

S3.

Design drilling and blasting for both underground and surface mines

S4.

Assess and optimise rock fragmentation in both surface and underground blasting settings

Application of knowledge and skills:
A1.

Plan, implement and evaluate short, medium and long term plans and schedules for drilling and blasting in surface and underground mines

A2.

Evaluate and optimise production drilling and blasting in a mining operation

Unit Content:

Topics may include:

  • Production drilling and blasting for surface and underground operations.
  • Optimising fragmentation.
  • Analysis and optimisation of drilling and blasting in mining what is optimal in terms of energy partitioning from explosives.
  • New explosive and initiation systems.
  • Environmental effects of blasting, minimising the impacts of blasting.
  • Case studies and costs.
Graduate Attributes:
 Learning Outcomes AssessedAssessment TasksAssessment TypeWeighting
1.K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1

Numerical and conceptual tasks

Written assignments

10-30%

2.K2, K3, S2, S3, S4, A2

Design Project

Reports/Presentations/Oral Assessment

30-50%

3.K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, S4, A1, A2

Final Exam/Test

Final Exam/Test/Presentations/Oral Assessment

30-50%

Adopted Reference Style:
IEEE  ()

Professional Standards / Competencies:
 Standard / Competency