Experimental and numerical investigation on vibration response of transmission towers under quarry blasting

Abstract Blast-induced ground vibration can threaten ultra-high-voltage (UHV) transmission towers adjacent to large-scale quarry excavation, while its propagation through strongly undulating valley terrain remains insufficiently understood. This study combines field blasting tests and finite-element simulations to investigate vibration propagation and tower responses at a pumped-storage power station. Single-charge, presplit, and production blasting tests were conducted, with vibrations monitored within the rock mass, on the ground surface, and at tower foundations. A three-dimensional LS-DYNA model using an equivalent blast-load approach was calibrated against field measurements and subsequently applied to different excavation elevations and bench-excavation stages. The results show that vibration propagation is controlled not only by charge weight and source distance, but also by elevation difference, monitoring depth, and topography. The calibrated model reproduced the measured peak particle velocity (PPV) at the near-field monitoring point with an error below 10%. Blasting at the lower excavation elevation (660 m) induced stronger tower responses than blasting at 720 and 840 m, with a maximum simulated tower-foundation PPV of 0.678 cm/s. The excavation-depth dependence of PPV was strongly profile-specific: nonlinear exponential trends occurred along the valley-dominated northern and middle profiles, whereas an approximately linear trend occurred along the gentler southern profile. These differences are attributed to terrain-induced changes in wave propagation, including reflection, scattering, diffraction, and path-length effects. The results highlight the dominant role of valley topography in blast-vibration attenuation and provide a practical basis for elevation-dependent blast design and vibration control near UHV transmission infrastructure.