Risk Management in the Construction of Metropolitan Running Tunnels Using Emulsion Explosives: Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17794/rgn.2026.4.8Keywords:
drilling-and-blasting operations, emulsion explosives, stress–strain modelling, rock mass failure, tunnel excavation efficiencyAbstract
This study proposes a methodology for calculating the drilling-and-blasting parameters used in the construction of metropolitan running tunnels employing emulsion explosives within an integrated risk-management framework. Drilling-and-blasting operations in metropolitan tunnel construction require high precision in blast-hole design to ensure stable fragmentation and to minimize technical and operational risks. This study aims to develop a risk-oriented methodology for calculating drilling-and-blasting parameters for running tunnels based on the rational spatial arrangement of blast holes and controlled rock fragmentation. The proposed methodology is grounded in elasticity theory and quasi-static and wave-based hypotheses of rock failure under explosive loading. Blast holes are arranged in groups according to tunnel face areas using contour retreat principles. Straight cuts are designed based on the crushing zone radius, followed by calculations of the line of least resistance, explosive consumption, hole spacing, charge per hole, and total explosive expenditure. A power-law relationship is employed to define blast-hole geometry as a function of explosion pressure, hole diameter, uniaxial compressive strength, rock structure, jointing, and geostatic stress conditions. Numerical simulations confirmed the formation of stable inelastic deformation zones and uniform rock fragmentation, significantly reducing the occurrence of oversized blocks at the tunnel face. The study integrates analytical blast-design calculations with numerical stress–strain modelling within a unified risk-management framework for metropolitan tunnelling. Implementation of the proposed methodology improves blasting efficiency and safety, enables up to 14% savings in excavation resources, and reduces technical and operational risks associated with drilling-and-blasting works in urban underground construction.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Maksym Kononenko, Oleh Khomenko, Serhii Hapieiev, Roman Tereshchuk, Roman Dychkovskyi
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