Energy Dissipation Characteristics and an Equivalent Explosive Unit Consumption Model for Frozen Sandstone with Different Moisture Contents

Under the influence of water–ice consolidation, the blastability of frozen rock undergoes changes, and therefore, the blastability of frozen rock is a research focus in the theory and design of precision blasting in cold regions. Taking red sandstone, widely distributed in cold regions, as the research object, dynamic compression tests are conducted in this study to obtain the impact dissipation energy of frozen sandstone with different moisture contents. Concurrently, the energy distribution theory of cylindrical explosives is employed to calculate the energy utilized for fracturing the sandstone. By equating these two energy values through the energy equivalence principle, the unit explosive consumption required for blasting frozen sandstone is determined. In addition, based on the blasting crater theory, the smoothed particle hydrodynamics numerical simulation method is used to modify the unit explosive consumption. Therefore, an equivalent unit explosive consumption model of frozen sandstone is established. The results indicate that the impact dissipation energy of frozen sandstone is higher than that in the normal temperature at the same moisture content, with a particularly marked increase observed in water-bearing specimens. Moreover, the energy required for the failure of sandstone specimens gradually decreases with increasing moisture content. A strong negative linear correlation is identified between the unit explosive consumption for frozen sandstone and its moisture content. A strong positive linear correlation is identified between the corrected unit explosive consumption for frozen sandstone and that for normal temperature sandstone.