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foundations and quarry blasting 1

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SUSIE

Mechanical
Nov 5, 2002
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I need some answers,Please. I am trying to fight a development which is being built on a mountain top. This site has very steep slopes.I will try and give you all information needed to answer my questions.Soils:Hibernia etra sandy loam,3-15%slopes(HpC),Muck,shallow(Ms); Ridgebury extra loam,0-3%slopes(RbA),3-8% slopes(RbB);Riverhead sandy loam,3-8% slopes(RhB);Rock outcrop Rockaway complex, 15-35% slopes(RxE);and Rockaway complex-Rock outcrop, 3-15% slopes(RsC)-with exceptions of the roads,which occassionally cross steeper sloping portions of the site,the vast majority of the proposed construction will occur on areas of the site having slopes less than 15%. Where required,steep slope areas will be graded to a shallower slope ratios to accomodate construction.

Now on this same mountain ,about 1,500 to 2,000 feet away is an active quarry. This quarry blasts at least 2x a week. The homes that are not on this mountain feel the tremors and their homes shake. Wouldn't there be adverse impacts to these new townhomes and their foundations?What could be the impacts? How could the foundations be made to with stand the quarry? SHould this applicant hire a geo-technical engineer? If so, please give reasons as to why. I am really trying to learn all information to make sure that the safety of the people that move into these homes are a priority. Thank you so much!
 
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The quarry has to comply by law with maximum peak particle velocity blasting vibration criteria established by the former US Bureau of Mines of 0.5 to 0.75 inches per second (depending on frequency) which has been proven not to damage residential structures, but it can be felt. (The human body is a very sensitive seismograph.) I'm sure the quarry has seismographs out for every blast at the closest houses. There has been a great deal of research on this topic.

I am in the quarry business, and it is very frustrating when a quarry has been operating for many decades and housing developments start to move in, and then complain about something the developers should have warned the homebuyers about.

Blasting is a highly regulated business.

Let me know if I can be of more help.
 
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