Blasting & Rock Removal
CSI Division 31, Earthwork
The controlled use of explosives to fracture and remove solid rock that can't practically be excavated with conventional earthmoving equipment, a specialized scope requiring its own licensed blaster, a detailed blast plan, and careful monitoring of vibration and flyaway debris to protect nearby structures and people.
Why it matters
Blasting vibration is regulated by specific limits, often expressed as peak particle velocity, to protect nearby structures, and a contractor who blasts without proper seismic monitoring and pre-blast surveys of nearby buildings has no defense against a legitimate damage claim, even a small one, since there's no baseline documentation showing the structure's condition before blasting began.
On a real project
A highway contractor conducts a pre-blast survey documenting the condition of nearby homes before beginning rock removal, then monitors vibration levels at each blast with seismographs to confirm they stay within the permitted limit.
Who this matters most to
A licensed blaster plans and executes the blast. A Civil Engineer or Heavy Civil Estimator accounts for blasting's real cost and schedule impact when rock is identified during the geotechnical investigation.
Where this goes wrong
A contractor skips the pre-blast survey of a nearby building to save time and cost, assuming the vibration limits alone are protection enough. A homeowner later reports new cracking and claims it was caused by the blasting, and without a documented pre-blast condition survey, the contractor has no way to prove the cracks weren't already there before work began.