Fragblast Section

Committee on Fragmentation by Blasting - a Section of the International Society of Explosives Engineers

Fragblast Symposia
In 1983, August 22-26, the First International symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting was held at the Luleå University of Technology in Sweden. Developers of the first symposium were Per Anders Persson (deceased), Nitro Nobel; Roger Holmberg, the Swedish Detonic Research Foundation; and Agne Rustan, Division of Mining at Luleå University of Technology.

An International Organizing Committee was established at the First International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting in 1983 to oversee the organization of the next symposia. Agne Rustan was elected Chairman of the First International Organizing Committee.

The Symposia are usually held every third year. At the Second Symposium in Keystone, it was decided that the Chairman for the last National Organizing Committee would be the Chairman of the International Organizing Committee until the close of the next symposium.

The table below gives information on location and year of the eight symposia held to date and the ninth symposium currently being planned.

Table 1. Summary of all International Symposia on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting (Fragblast)

Int'l. Symposia on Rock Frag by Blasting	Time	Place	Country	Chairman Nat. Org. Comm.
First	1983	Luleå	Sweden	Per Anders Persson
Second	1987	Keystone	USA	William Fourney
Third	1990	Brisbane	Australia	Cameron McKenzie
Fourth	1993	Vienna	Austria	Hans Peter Rossmanith
Fifth	1996	Montreal	Canada	Bibhu Mohanty
Sixth	1999	Johannesburg	South Africa	Claude Cunningham
Seventh	2002	Beijing	China	Wang Xuguang
Eight	2006	Santiago	Chile	Carlos Orlandi
Nine	2009	Granada	Spain	Jose A. Sanchidrian

At the “Fourth International Symposium on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting” the title of the Symposium was given the shortened form “Fragblast” by Hans Peter Rossmanith. This shortened form was later adopted by the National Organizers.

Ordering of the Fragblast Proceedings
Copies of the different symposia can be obtained from the following addresses. In those cases where complete copies are no longer available, copies of individual papers can be ordered. The cost of this is coping costs and postage.

Fragblast 1 - Luleå; Email publications@isee.org at the International Society of Explosives Engineers, Inc.
Fragblast 2 - Keystone; Email publications@isee.org at the International Society of Explosives Engineers, Inc.
Fragblast 3 - Brisbane; Email publications@isee.org at the International Society of Explosives Engineers, Inc.
Fragblast 4 - Vienna; Email publications@isee.org at the International Society of Explosives Engineers, Inc.
Fragblast 5 - Montreal; Order online at www.isee.org or call ISEE (440) 349-4400, or fax (440) 349-3788.
Fragblast 6 - Johannesburg; Order online at www.isee.org or call ISEE (440) 349-4400, or fax (440) 349-3788.
Fragblast 7 - Beijing; Order online at www.isee.org or call ISEE (440) 349-4400, or fax (440) 349-3788.
Fragblast 8 - Chile; Order online at www.isee.org or call ISEE (440) 349-4400, or fax (440) 349-3788.
Fragmentation by Blasting, edited by W.L. Fourney, R.R. Boade and L.S. Costin. A collection of papers on fragmentation as presented at meetings of the Society of Experimental Mechanics 1980-1982. Order online at www.isee.org or call ISEE (440) 349-4400.

ISRM, COMMISSION ON FRAGMENTATION (1991-2003)
In 1991, the ISRM Commission on Fragmentation by Blasting was formed to give the Fragblast Group an organizational status and to encourage international exchange of research results and new experience from the engineering use of rock blasting as a tool in mining and construction engineering. The members of the commission on Rock Fragmentation by Blasting served as permanent members of the International Organizing Committee for the Fragblast Symposia. One of the main tasks of the ISRM Commission on Fragmentation was to organize international working groups in the fragmentation field of blasting to facilitate the exchange of research results and new experience.

The ISRM Commission on Fragmentation by Blasting was renamed the Committee on Fragmentation by Blasting in February 2003 when the group decided to affiliate with ISEE and the ISEE Fragblast section was initiated.

ISEE, FRAGBLAST SECTION (Since 2003)
The ISEE Fragblast Section, “Committee on Fragmentation” was developed after lengthy discussion among the Commission members and between ISEE and the International Organizing Committee for Fragblast Symposia.

The objective of the ISEE Fragblast Section is to coordinate working groups, organize Fragblast symposia, continue to develop the Fragblast Journal and continue to share information among scientist and engineers working in the field of fragmentation by blasting. The development and upgrading of this web site will assist in achieving these goals.

The governing committee members of the ISEE Fragblast Section serve as permanent members of the International Organizing Committee. The current Section members are shown in the Members of the Fragblast International Organizing Committee.

The areas covered by the Working groups and the members of the Working Groups can be found in the ISEE Fragblast Section Working Groups.

Contact information:

Chairman International Organizing Committee: Carlos Orlandi, Santiago, Chile. Email: corlandi@enaex.clo

Chairman of ISEE Committee on Fragmentation by Blasting: William Fourney, University of Maryland, USA. Email: four@eng.umd.edu

General Secretary of ISEE Committee on Fragmentation by Blasting: Agne Rustan, Email: Agne.Rustan@spray.se

FRAGBLAST JOURNAL
The Fragblast Journal was started in 1997 by Hans Peter Rossmanith, Vienna University of Technology. This Journal is no longer in print. Information on how to order old copies can be obtained by emailing isee@isee.org.

Blasting and Fragmentation, the new Journal of the ISEE Fragblast Section
The International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE) began publication of Blasting and Fragmentation, the new Journal of the ISEE Fragblast Section in 2007.

The objective of the new Journal is to be the central location for papers on the subject of blasting and fragmentation. Hans Peter Rossmanith, Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Mechanics and Mechatronics A2, Vienna, Austria is the Editor-in-Chief. William Fourney, University of Maryland, Department of Aerospace, Maryland, USA. is the Co-Editor in Chief. For detailed contact information of these two editors view Members of the Fragblast International Organizing Committee.

Submit papers to: hans.peter.rossmanith@tuwien.ac.at or four@eng.umd.edu.

Ordering of Blasting and Fragmentation, the new Journal of the ISEE Fragblast Section
Subscriptions: ISEE, Email: blastfragsubscriptions@isee.org. Members of ISEE and the Fragblast Section qualify for a discount.

ROCK BLASTING TERMS AND SYMBOLS (BOOK)
Important for the clear communication in blasting is that scientists and engineers use the same terms for technical items related to blasting. In 1991 an international group was formed within the ISRM Commission on Fragmentation by Blasting to compile such a book. The group consisted of representatives from Australia, Austria, Canada, India, South Africa, Sweden and the United States.

The result of the work of that group is a 193 page hardcover book published in 1998 by A.A. Balkema, in the Netherlands. The present dictionary contains 1980 terms, 325 symbols, 77 acronyms, abbreviations and shortened forms, 221 references, 32 figures, 57 formulas and 28 tables. This dictionary represents the most extensive rock blasting dictionary in the world.

Editor-in-Chief of that dictionary is Agne Rustan. New terms can be sent to his Email address: Agne.Rustan@spray.se.

Ordering of dictionary: The dictionary can be ordered from ISEE, in the Blasters' Library.