13th EFEE World Conference on Explosives and Blasting – nearly 600 participants from over 50 countries came to Krakow to take part in the international conference organized by EFEE – European Federation of Explosives Engineers, in cooperation and with the support of the Association of Polish Blasting Engineers (SPIS).
And … it was on a beautiful, sunny Sunday… On September 21st, we welcomed over 80 people to the Pre-Conference Technical Workshop “The Use of Shaped Charges in Demolition Works.” SPIS, as the organizer of this event, made every effort to ensure that it was a valuable and memorable meeting for all participants. The workshop took place in the JSW Hall at the AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management.
Arkadiusz Kustra, the Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management AGH, opened the event as the venue host. Patrick Frye, who chairs the G10 – Explosive Demolition group of the European Demolition Association, also welcomed the audience.
John Wolstenholme introduced everyone to the topic of shaped linear charges, discussing their operating principles, types, applications, and safety issues related to their use and demolition operations. Next, Leon Budzicz, Robert Laszlo, and Anna Łukosz took the audience into the world of demolition, presenting spectacular case studies of a wide variety of structures – from tall buildings to industrial furnaces and mining machinery. Mateusz Pytlik completed the discussion of shaped charges’ applications by presenting the SEDAS – Safe and Effective Decommissioning of Arch Supports – project, which focuses on developing a safe and effective method for dismantling and recovering steel arch supports in liquidated mines, as well as developing operational procedures, risk and health and safety assessments, and environmental and business analyses to support the effective use of rerecovered steel.
The workshop was accompanied by a presentation of artefacts, including a model of an excavator dismantled using the explosive method, dummies of shaped charges and electronic detonators, and examples of explosive cutting of various steel structure elements.
What would the workshop be without the involvement of its participants? After an engaging theoretical introduction and impressive case studies, it was time for a role reversal. The practical task was to design the demolition of a steel chimney. Participants divided into groups, and with a chimney model, technical data, data for a range of shaped charges, and supporting materials, they began working on their demolition concept for this structure. The task provided numerous discussions, simultaneously demonstrating one of the fascinating features of demolition: there is no single correct answer to the question, “How to do it?” Each proposed solution proved different, yet worth considering.
After an undoubtedly intellectual effort, we invited our guests for the Polish dinner and then for a guided walk through our beautiful Krakow, bathed in the rays of the afternoon sun.
At this point, we would also like to thank all the partners and sponsors who made this event possible: Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute, Nitroerg S.A., Przedsiębiorstwo CAMA Sp. z o.o., Łukasiewicz Research Network Łukasiewicz – Institute of Organic Industry, HASO Sp. z o.o. Sp. k., Kraków Convention Bureau, Wanika Explo Aneta Górska, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Resource Management, AGH University of Science and Technology, Małopolska Chamber of Civil Engineers, and the Józef Mehoffer Museum of Turek – thank you for your support and commitment!
The excitement of the workshops had barely subsided when all conference participants gathered at the ICE Congress Center, where the 13th EFEE World Conference on Explosives and Blasting opened. The gathered participants were first welcomed on behalf of EFEE by Mathias Jern, President of EFEE, and Travis Davidsavor, representative of ISEE, and then by Elżbieta Błotny and Leon Budzicz, on behalf of SPIS. The Welcome Reception was the starting point for numerous conversations and discussions – both professional and social – overlooking the illuminated Wawel Castle.
The next day of the conference was filled with technical sessions, talks with exhibitors, and professional discussions. In the conference rooms, speakers from around the world presented their research, practical experiences, and achievements on topics including seismic impact, health and safety during drilling and blasting operations, environmental issues, blasting experiences, explosive demolition, technological innovation and development, and computer modelling and its application in blasting design. The wide variety of presentations undoubtedly ensured that everyone found something to their liking. Meanwhile representatives from various industry companies were waiting at their booths to answer questions and establish contacts and collaborations.
Explosives? Blasting equipment? Computer modelling? Or perhaps explosives transport? If you were looking for cooperation in these services, there was no better place to explore the market! Two supporting members of the SPIS also had their own stands: Nitroerg S.A. and SSE Polska.
The day was full of excitement, which by no means ended at dusk. In the evening, the atmospheric Stara Zajezdnia Kraków by DeSilva hosted the Networking Dinner – the Gala Dinner featuring regional music and performances by a group presenting Polish and Krakow folk dances. Hours of conversation, making new relationships, and cultivating old ones followed – true international networking!
Tuesday was the final day of the official conference, but the pace certainly didn’t slow down. More presentations and conversations took place in both the rooms and corridors. Topics circulated in the airwaves, evolving into lively discussions and fruitful ideas. In the afternoon, however, it was time to say goodbye – the 13th EFEE World Conference on Explosives and Blasting was an event that will surely remain in the memories of the participants for a long time…
But that’s not the end! Although the main part of the conference had concluded, a Post-Conference Tour awaited the event participants. Nearly 100 people traveled to Silesia to learn about the operations of the NITROERG S.A. plant in Bieruń, Poland’s largest and Europe’s leading manufacturer of explosives and initiation systems for civilian applications, and to the Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute (GIG-PIB) in Mikołów.
During the technical visit to GIG-PIB, the guests learned about the operations of the “Barbara” Experimental Mine and the Explosives Testing Laboratory of the Conformity Assessment Unit.
Additionally, everyone had the opportunity to see a very spectacular coal dust explosion in a 100-meter-long experimental tunnel and how fires are extinguished in methane coal mines.
All good things come to the end quickly. For the thirteenth time in its history, and for the first time in Poland, the EFEE World Conference on Explosives and Blasting has concluded. It brought with it unforgettable experiences, undoubtedly broadened horizons, and numerous new relationships. Life goes on, and in two years, the 14th edition of the EFEE World Conference will take place.
Copenhagen, we pass the baton!