Explosives & Detonators Database
The Explosives database stores all explosive products and detonator types available for use in charge designs. Every entry feeds directly into mass calculations, fragmentation analysis, and vibration predictions.
Table of contents
- Detonator / Explosive Types
- Creating an Entry
- Reference Values
- Color Assignment Guide
- Bulk Import
- Usage in Analytics
Detonator / Explosive Types
BlastCAD uses a single unified database for all initiation and explosive materials, differentiated by type:
| Type | Description | Used in |
|---|---|---|
bulk | Bulk explosive product (ANFO, Emulsion, Heavy ANFO) | Charge segment material |
packaged | Pre-packaged cartridge explosive | Charge segment material; can also act as primer |
detonator | Detonator unit (non-electric, electronic) | Detonator assignment on holes |
surface_delay | Surface firing delay element | Initiation harness (not in-hole) |
Creating an Entry
In Database Manager → Explosives tab, click New Product.
Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Text | Product name (e.g., “Emulsion 1.2”, “ANFO 0.8”, “Dynadet-C2”) |
| Type | Select | bulk, packaged, detonator, surface_delay |
| Density (kg/m³) | Number | Explosive or stemming density — used for mass calculation |
| Color | Hex color | Visualization color in Charge Mode (e.g., #FF4500 for emulsion) |
| RWS | Number | Relative Weight Strength (ANFO = 100). Used in Kuz-Ram fragmentation. |
| Nominal Delay (ms) | Number | For detonators and surface delays — the nominal firing delay |
| Scatter (%) | Number | Timing scatter as a % of nominal delay (see Vibration & Safety) |
Reference Values
Bulk Explosives
| Product | Density (kg/m³) | RWS | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANFO 0.8 | 800 | 100 | Dry holes, free-flowing |
| Emulsion 1.0 | 1000 | 90 | Wet holes |
| Emulsion 1.2 | 1200 | 105 | High-density, wet holes |
| Heavy ANFO 70/30 | 1050 | 115 | High-energy, mixed bulk |
| Heavy ANFO 50/50 | 1100 | 125 | Very high energy |
| Packaged Emulsion | 1150 | 110 | Uphole, packaged |
| Dynamite (NG) | 1300 | 120 | High-sensitivity applications |
Stemming Materials (Inert)
| Material | Density (kg/m³) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Drill Cuttings | 1700 | Least effective confinement |
| Crushed Stone 6–10 mm | 1600 | Standard recommendation |
| Crushed Stone 16–19 mm | 1550 | Best interlocking, highest confinement |
| Sand | 1800 | Common in quarry blasting |
Stemming materials have RWS = 0 and contribute zero explosive mass. Add them as products with type = bulk and density set to the appropriate bulk density.
Detonator Types
| Product | Type | Nominal Delay | Scatter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shock Tube 17ms | detonator | 17 ms | 5% |
| Shock Tube 25ms | detonator | 25 ms | 5% |
| Electronic Detonator | detonator | Programmable | 0.1% |
| SD-1 Surface Delay (42ms) | surface_delay | 42 ms | 8% |
| SD-1 Surface Delay (67ms) | surface_delay | 67 ms | 8% |
Color Assignment Guide
Colors in the Charge Mode view help engineers instantly identify segment types. Recommended conventions:
| Segment type | Suggested color |
|---|---|
| ANFO | #FFA500 (orange) |
| Emulsion | #FF4500 (red-orange) |
| Heavy ANFO | #DC143C (crimson) |
| Stemming | #808080 (grey) |
| Air Deck | #87CEEB (sky blue, translucent) |
| Packaged cartridge | #FFD700 (gold) |
These are suggestions — use any color that is visually distinct and consistent with your site conventions.
Bulk Import
For sites with large product databases, import explosive entries from a CSV file:
Required columns: name, type, density_kg_m3, color, rws
Optional columns: nominal_delay_ms, scatter_percent
Click Import from CSV in the Explosives tab header to upload.
Usage in Analytics
The Explosives database feeds directly into:
- Charge Design: Mass calculation per segment.
- Fragmentation Analysis: RWS used in the Kuz-Ram equation.
- Vibration Analysis: Detonator scatter used in timing analysis.
- Energy Analysis: Energy density computed from RWS relative to ANFO’s 3.85 MJ/kg.