Attenuation characteristics of shock waves in drilling and blasting based on viscoelastic wave theory

This study investigates the propagation and attenuation characteristics of shock waves produced by drilling and blasting. The focus is on a novel method for calculating the attenuation of the shock wave pressure. Based on the propagation of shock waves in a rod with a variable section and a Maxwell model for rock, theoretical solutions for the attenuation of the blast-induced shock wave pressure were derived and the main factors influencing the attenuation speed were analyzed. The attenuation law of shock waves for siltstone, limestone, and granite, with common borehole diameters of 76-150 mm and initial shock pressures of 1-6 GPa, was analyzed through nu-merical simulations. The results show that the shock wave falls off as the square root of the relative distance. The attenuation speed of the shock wave is mainly related to the borehole size, rock properties, and shock wave intensity. The attenuation speed increases with increasing initial shock pressure on the borehole wall, but de-creases with increasing borehole radius. Compared with soft rock, the shock wave pressure attenuates faster in hard rock. Combining theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, an exponential attenuation coefficient was introduced to the attenuation formula. Statistical analysis shows that the exponential attenuation coefficient is linearly proportional to the initial shock pressure. Furthermore, a new method for calculating the attenuation of shock wave pressure was proposed, reflecting the comprehensive influence of rock characteristics and shock wave intensity. The new method is an improvement over existing methods, which only consider the effect of rock properties on shock wave attenuation. The reliability of the new method was verified against the results of field tests. The findings provide a theoretical basis for the optimization of blasting parameters and assessments of blast-resistance for structures.