Detonation velocity importance- Felipe Rincn Durn

Detonation velocity is a property of explosives very important to consider when we want to rate it.
Normally is given in feet per second (fps) and it may be expressed as a confined value. The
confined detonation velocity measures the speed at which the detonation wave travels through a
columm of explosive within a borehole or other confined space, in the other hand the unconfined
velocity indicates this rate when the explosive is detonated in the open. The confined value is
more significant because explosives generally are used under some degree of confinement.
The importance of knowing the detonation velocity is that is preferable some velocities for some
rock types, for example, when we want to blast in a hard rock, a high velocity explosive is better;
in a softer or highly jointed rock, a low velocity explosive. Its recommended to use ANFO cause it
can give satisfactory results at lower cost and some explosives, particularly blasting agents are
more sensitive to diameter changes than others. When we have larger diameters in charges, six
inches or more, the velocity may be medium to high. But as diameters get smaller, the velocity is
reduced until, at the blasting agents critical diameter.
Based in National Park Service Explosives Chapter 2
In conclusion, my opinion is that the DoV is principal component of energy shock and responsible
of the breaking of the rock and it can be used to measure and determinate the efficiency of the
explosive, for this reason the DoV must be taken into account and give their relative importance.