verview JKBench is a program for the design and basic analysis of blasts in open cut mines.

It allows the user to layout a blast design consisting of blast holes, decks, downhole and surface delays and connections, and then to run a detonation simulation. The design can be further described by strings and polygons. Basic analyses of volume, tonnage, powder factor, component and total costs can be calculated for the design.

Although the design is created in 2D plan, all data is stored with full 3D coordinates (east, north, level) in a Microsoft Access database. Added to this are object details (such as hole dip, bearing, diameter, length, burden, spacing), properties of explosives, detonators, primers and connectors, plus timing information.

Program Features: A blast design is divided into five component options, created in the various modes in the program. Each mode has specific tools and functions, with several global editing tools and reporting, query, input and output functions.

Area mode (Line/Polygon Creation)

draw and edit strings and polygons set text labels on the design import strings and polygons cut/copy/paste strings and text labels

Drill mode (Hole Creation)

hole properties and pattern parameters drill single holes and patterns
(square, staggered) import holes from text file cut/copy/paste holes and attached data

Load mode (Material Loading)

load multiple decks of materials load by length, mass, depth from collar or percentage of hole length explosives and non-explosives
(stemming, air-deck, water, etc)

properties stored with design

Down Hole Delays mode (Downhole Delay Sequencing)

insert detonators, primers and connectors insert at distance from toe or collar properties stored with design

Surface Delays mode (Surface Delay Sequencing)

define detonators and connectors connect any two holes or a line of holes inter-hole, inter-row, uni- and bi-directional properties stored with design

Detonate mode (Detonation Simulation)

simulate the detonation sequence on screen continuous and step display show separation of initiation and detonation fronts display detonation times for all components all timing results saved in design database

Analysis tools

contour of first detonation times for holes chart of maximum instantaneous charge with calculation of PPV and airblast calculate powder and energy factors based on defined volume or design parameters calculate totals for design components: count, quantity, mass, cost copy design data to external application (e.g. spreadsheet) copy results to external application or save to file

General tools

cut, copy and paste data internally or externally import strings and hole layouts from text files zoom in/out or set scale of design area query details on holes, decks, delays, strings, etc print design to scale save screen appearance and design parameters select display of metric or imperial units data saved in Microsoft Access databases is available to other applications