MAXAM participated in the 42nd Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique, sponsored by the International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE) and held in Las Vegas (USA) from 30 January to 3 February.
This event brought together over 1,600 blasters, manufacturers, government officials and global industry leaders, making it the world’s most prominent explosives engineering tradeshow. The 2016 program included a dynamic education program featuring technical sessions, a poster session and workshops, combined with more than 130 exhibits on state-of-the-art technology.
Within this framework, Paulo Couceiro, MAXAM’s Technical Office Engineer, gave a presentation about the special underwater project conducted by MAXAM in Sao Paulo’s Santos Port, the biggest one in Latin America. His talk covered MAXAM’s drill and blasting by controlled underwater techniques to remove 40,000 m3 of two outcropping rocks, in order to increase the traffic and mooring capacity of this important Brazilian port. To successfully achieve the target depth of 15m and a 220m width in the port’s navigation channel, a combination of underwater pumped explosives and small cartridge explosives were used. This project marks a historic benchmark for Brazil, as it has been the first time pumped underwater explosives have been used in the country.1,600 blasters, manufacturers, government officials and industry leaders come together in the world’s largest conference on explosives engineering
The control of ground vibrations, due to the need to carry out detonations only 40m away from a 80-year-old warehouse, was the subject of another presentation. The sensitive structure, unstable soil and previous repair works of the warehouse, together with the seismic events generated from the constant daily traffic of nearby cargo trains for the last 80 years, demanded precise levels of controlled vibrations. To safely and effectively deliver this requirement, MAXAM on-site operators conducted MIC (maximise instantaneous charge) calculations and studied extensive historical blast data to ensure the project design met the specific vibration limits. The combination of comprehensive seismic data analysis and an effective use of underwater pumped explosives resulted in the project being completed within 3 months, instead of the initially planned 18 months, while keeping vibration levels below limits and with no damage done to the warehouse. Additionally, MAXAM displayed its global footprint and wide range of leading-edge in-house developed technologies: • RIOFLEX, MAXAM’s flagship bulk explosive, developed with the company’s own in-house R&D and key to its technological independence. • RIOBLAST, MAXAM’s blast design and simulation software, developed to support the company’s technical staff worldwide and to provide a much more customized service and reporting to its clients. Other noteworthy themes covered at the tradeshow included the growing importance of blasting software tools, drones in blasting surveillance, photogrammetry, vibration and fragmentation, underground mine blast modeling and fly-rock prevention.
MAXAM - maxamcorp.com
MAXAM is a global technology company, specializing in the design, development, manufacture and application of energy materials. It structures its activity in four business units: blasting solutions for mining, quarries and civil works; cartridges and gun powders for use in hunting and recreational shooting; products and systems for the defence and security sector; and production of key primary products in nitro chemical activity.
Founded by Alfred Nobel in 1872, today MAXAM employs more than 6,500 people on five continents, in 80 industrial facilities, with subsidiaries in more than 50 countries and commercial operations in over 100 countries. At the close of the 2018 financial year (31 March 2018), the company’s turnover stood at over 1.14 billion euros.