A Comparative Analysis on the Performance of Modified Kuz–Ram and Kuznetsov–Cunningham–Ouchterlony Models on Small and Large Diameter Drill-Hole Blasts

A comparative analysis on the performance of the modified Kuz–Ram model (MKM) and the Kuznetsov–Cunningham–Ouchterlony (KCO) model on a small diameter drill-hole dolomite quarry and large diameter granite quarry blasting operation was carried out. Blast data set for the quarries was collected and analysed using MKM and KCO models to ascertain the pre-blast particle-size distribution. The blast images were analysed and interpreted using the WipFrag software. The mean fragmentation size and percentage-passing sizes were calculated and the prediction accuracy of the two models’ blast was compared with the measured results from WipFrag analysis to determine the prediction accuracy using four model performance indicators. Performance indices, such as variance account for (VAF), root-mean-square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and coefficient of determination (R2), were used to check the prediction capacity of the models. The percentage-passing results showed that for both fines and the materials of desired range in Q1 and for fines in Q2, the MKM predicted values are closer to the WipFrag than the KCO model. For the materials of desired range in Q2, the KCO model predicted values are closer to the WipFrag measured values. There were no boulder predictions by both models for both Q1 and Q2. The error checkers of the particle mean size (X₅₀) revealed that the KCO model is more efficient in predicting Q1 blast particle size as compared to Q2, while the MKM predicts more accurately than KCO model for Q2 blast rounds. A new modified Kuz–Ram model was developed for both Q1 and Q2 and the results are more closer to the results from the WipFrag image analysis and it also has higher coefficient of correlation as compared to Kuz–Ram model and existing MKM model.