Rock excavation 1

What size pieces are acceptable?

We are talking about Road Cut (in the mountain) 100000-300000CY or 25SY/profile. The size of blasted rock is of no importance. It has to be exploded properly so that it can be buldozed aside.

may depend on the type of rock. size of rock is of importance if you can't load the resulting boulders into your trucks and haul away. you should be consulting with a geologist who can analyze the type of rock, bedding, faults, etc.

when dealing with blasting, rock size is very important since it dictates cvg's comment about loading as well as suitability for reuse as fill, "compaction" requirements, etc. and the small particle requires closer blast pattern.

price is also dependent on your locale, size of job, size requirements, placement requirements, hauling rates, etc. i've seen blast rock pay rates be $10-50+/cy (again depending on several factors). you should track down some relatively local folks that can give you some candid estimates based on the project details.

Ill do it for $40 per cu yard, and probably make money at it,

if it is open blasting,no blasting mats,no pre-blast survey,no vibration issues, just drill load and shoot then I will beat miningmans price. I just finished 80,000 cu/y for around $6.00 per/cu/yd.
I just bid on a job of 400,000 cu/yds and it went for under $5.00 per/cu/yd.
Mind you, these are Canadian numbers but powder costs are close.
Either way I'll bet it should go for well under $10.00 cu/yd

Thank you Boise.
I believe you are talking about the blasting only. That price does not include buldozing the exploded material??

Correct, thats drill and blast only

Those prices have to be for blasting. Moving Rock is exspensive. It tears up buckets, blades, and undercarriages. My book says D8 , 200' oneway 236 BCY per hour 400 hours total around 60000 USD not including moblization and set up charge. They are out of their mind Its impossible. Let me know how it comes out.

I have always hated working with rock. Where I come from (plains of ND) we just survey it, move it. We don't have rock anywhere. Your post makes me grateful for having to not deal with that.

Joey

the D8 can only push the rock, to load and haul blasted rock would require a bucket, perhaps a Cat 966 wheel loader with 8 yard bucket. Depending on the results of the blasting it might not be necessary to use a dozer at all.

In his earlier reply. 8507 stated the rock would not have to be moved but 100' to the side. If it had to be moved off-site the a loader(S) or excavator(S) with an articulated trucks would be the answer. The most cost efficient way would be to discard of the side.

Boise, I never suggested my $40 would be the lowest price in a competetive bid situation but your numbers are way lower than I would have expected to be close to reality. Where did you do your work and what size holes were drilling??

Im curious thats all, Im here to learn as much as the next man

Hi miningman

When I stated I could “beat miningmans price” that was not intended as a jab against you (or your qualifications) but was intended as a fun spirited poke at all the drillers and blasters on the forum whom wanted to competitively bid on 8705’s project. I hope you did not take it the wrong way.
I work all across Canada and bid on any size blasting project from British Columbia to Ontario, I very seldom go farther east although I consulted on a large project in New Brunswick last year.

Some recent examples for you from the past several weeks.

I missed a quarry of 65,000 cu/yds. I was planning 0n 5 ½ to 6 inch holes 12x12 or possibly 12x15. I bid the job at $3.80 per cu/yd and did not get it. Apparently it went for $2.80 per cu/m. There were no buildings nearby and no blasting mats required.

Last week a road job with 110,000 cu/yds went for $5.50 per cu/yd to drill, blast, supply blasting mats (but not swing them) and supply 3rd party vibration monitoring.
This project would have an average of 16 ft. holes drilled with a 4 inch bit on a 10x10 pattern. Granite

I just completed a 55,000 cu/yd site prep job and did very well at $4.50 per cu/yd. We were lucky as the holes were bone dry so we were able to use mostly ANFO. We used 4 inch bits on a 10x10 pattern and did not require blasting mats.

But having said this…these prices are down from the previous few years. As some blasting contractors that have drills sitting are dropping prices and working as low as cost plus 5% just to keep key people working and for cash flow. The problem I have with that is that it does not take much of a problem on a construction site for cash flow to turn into negative cash flow.

Boise interesting numbers. And no I did not take your comments as personal insults or anything like that. My prime area of expertise is underground and most surface work I have done has been around 2-3 inch diameter so all we are really discussing is the cost efficiencies of larger diameter holes.

My main work area is Western Canada / NWT and I have a BC Class 1 unrestricted WCB ticket so I am sure you recognise my credentials. I wonder if we have met each other previously? Perhaps we should make an attempt to make direct contact. I am unsure of the rules / ethics of providing personal contact info on this site.