# Investigation of Fault Effect on Blast-Induced Vibration
## 5 Conclusions  
In this study, environmental vibrations resulting from blasts triggered at a limestone quarry were analyzed to assess fault zone effects. A total of 11 production blasts in the limestone quarry were monitored and 42 vibrations measurements were recorded considering the boundaries of the blast sites and the directions of the geologic units. When  
Figure 12: Change graph of PPV values according to directions and effects of the fault zone.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**USBM** & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Propagation Distance (m)**} \\
**Allowed Limit PPV (mm/s)** & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Propagation Distance (m)**} \\ \hline \hline \multicolumn{3}{c}{**For Southwest Directions**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**For Northwest Directions \({}^{*}\)**} \\ \hline
5 & 92 & 153 \\
19 & 25 & 61 \\
50 & 10 & 31 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} \({}^{*}\)There is a fault zone in this direction.  
\end{table}
Table 3: Propagation distances obtained using both prediction models for each direction.  
the geological structure of the quarry was viewed, it was observed that two fault zones intersect along the south-northwest. To accurately estimate the peak particle velocities of blast-induced vibrations, it is necessary to reveal the effect of these fault zones. For this reason, measurements were taken by creating two different directions (SW-NW). Actual data from the field using were assessed separately according to these directions. The field parameters for each direction were obtained from USBM estimation models. These models produced different field parameters but relatively similar damping parameters. This shows that although there is no change in the general geological units, there is a change in the prediction model coefficients depending on the location of the fault zone. The propagation distances for the limit values in USBM were calculated using both prediction equations to show the ground vibration attenuation connected with the fault zone (Table 3). According to this calculation, it is seen that the estimated particle velocities produced by the northwest direction prediction model have different propagation distances compared to the southwest prediction model. In more detail, the propagation (attenuation) distance of PPV between 3 and 7 mm/s is 1.5-2 times greater than the propagation distance in the southwest direction. At velocities between 7 and 25 mm/s, this difference increases 2-2.5 times. At velocities between 25 and 50 mm/s, the difference in propagation distances becomes 2.5-3 times. It has been observed that the fault zone has a significant effect on the propagation of blast vibration up to a certain distance and has no effect after a certain distance in this study. According to the data set obtained from the field, it could be said that this distance is 250 m distance. After 250 m, the effect of the fault zone on the propagation of the vibration velocity disappears. Although there is no significant change in the geological structure, the effect of the fault zone on the vibration propagation mechanism is undeniable. This study shows that vibration velocities occurring in blastings near the fault zone can reach high or low values outside the expected behavior at short distances. In this context, it is recommended that the mining plant use less explosive per delay than the calculated regression coefficients in the blastings to be carried out in case of a structure near the fault zone.  
This research received no external funding.  
The author declares no conflict of interest.