MAXAM
MAXAM has taken part in the 42nd Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique organized by the ISEE
2016.02.23
Terra Solutions - Press Room - News - MAXAM has taken part in the 42nd Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique organized by the ISEE
1,600 blasters, manufacturers, government officials and industry leaders come together in the world’s largest conference on explosives engineering
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.
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.
MAXAM – www.maxam.net
MAXAM is an industrial and services group that operates globally, developing, manufacturing and marketing blasting services and products and initiation systems for mining, quarries and infrastructure, cartridges and powder for sport hunting and products and services for the defence industry. It also provides key raw materials for nitro-chemical activities, such as energetic nitrocellulose and ammonium nitrates, for internal use by MAXAM, as well as for sale to third parties.
MAXAM, founded by Alfred Nobel in 1872, ended 2015 with an annual turnover of 1.115 million euros. It operates in the main mining areas around the world, with manufacturing facilities in more than 45 countries and sales in more than 100 countries on five continents, with more than 6,500 employees.
Further information:
Lucas Ferreira
MAXAM
Communications Director
+34 91 722 01 00
lferreira@maxam.net
Louis Trollope
MAXAM
Communications Officer
+34 91 722 01 00
ltrollope@maxam.net
