Question

Induced blasting enhances production in

• A. sublevel stoping.
• B. block caving.
• C. cut and fill mining.
• D. shrinkage stoping.

Hint:

Block caving works best when the rock mass caves efficiently—induced blasting helps initiate and accelerate this process.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Induced blasting is used to weaken the rock mass and help initiate or propagate the cave in bulk mining methods. Among the given options, block caving is the only method that relies on natural cave formation through gravity and controlled fracturing. When induced blasting is applied in block caving, the overlying rock mass fractures more quickly, increasing ore flow and improving production rate.
Other methods operate differently:
- Sublevel stoping involves controlled drilling and blasting, not caving.
- Cut-and-fill mining needs selective blasting and backfilling and does not benefit from induced blasting.
- Shrinkage stoping depends on broken ore acting as a working platform, not induced caving.
Therefore, induced blasting directly enhances the productivity of block caving by accelerating cave propagation.