This module can be taken as a Short Course for Credit or a Standalone Short Course.

Please go to the 'Upgrade to a professional qualification' section for more information.


Commercial Explosives covers various civilian and commercial blasting explosives, and delivers a strong fundamental understanding of the issues of commercial explosives.

At a glance

  • Dates
    • Please enquire for course dates
  • Duration5 days
  • LocationCranfield University at Shrivenham
  • Cost

    Short Course for Credit - £2,130

    Standalone Short Course - £1,925

    Concessions available

Course structure

The course will be delivered through lectures, problem solving and will include visiting mining or quarrying sites.

What you will learn

  • Outline blasting explosives capability for specific blasting applications;
  • Assess limitations of blasting explosives and propose solutions;
  • Apply blast theories and detonation mechanism to blast design;    
  • Summarise safety regulations for storage and transportation of blasting  explosives.

    • Core content

    • Fundamentals and classification of blasting explosives;
    • Properties of blasting explosives and ingredients;
    • Thermodynamics of explosives with respect to power and energy performance factors;
    • Application and problems of blasting explosives;
    • Manufacturing of commercial explosives;
    • Caking behaviour of blasting agents;
    • Commercial explosives in demolition;
    • Explosives used in shaped charge for penetration;
    • Selection of explosives;
    • Detonation devices: theory and practices;
    • Theory of blasts;
    • Blast design and rationale;
    • Rocks, tunnel, subsoil and underground blasting;
    • Blast effect calculation;
    • Various vibrations of blasting;
    • Flyrock;
    • Factors affecting power, fly rocks and ground vibration;
    • Noise and blast regulation;
    • Blasthole loading;
    • Safety regulation for storage and transportation;
    • Drilling: size of drill holes, inclination, vertical, depth, subdrilling.

    Upgrade to a professional qualification

    When taken as a Short Course for Credit, 10 credit points can be put towards the Explosives Ordnance Engineering MSc.

    Find out more about short course credit points.

    Who should attend

    Students must have successfully completed the Introduction to Explosives Engineering course or have relevant experience in order to take this as a Short Course for Credit.

    There are no prerequisites if taken as a Standalone Short Course.

    Concessions

    A limited number of MOD sponsored places are available.

    Location and travel

    Cranfield Defence and Security (CDS) is a Cranfield School based at the Ministry of Defence establishment on the Oxfordshire/Wiltshire borders.

    Shrivenham itself lies in the picturesque Vale of the White Horse, close to the M4 motorway which links London and South Wales. It is 7 miles from Swindon, the nearest town, which lies off the M4 at the hub of Britain’s motorway network.

    Bath, Cheltenham, Bristol and Oxford are all within an hour’s drive and London less than two hours away by car.

    All visitors must be pre-booked in at reception by the person they are visiting on the campus.

    For further location and travel details

    How to apply

    Please complete the online application form.


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