Rock breaking mechanism and optimization of blasting design of non-structural fracture are the core problems in the mining process of the open pit mine in the arid area. It is of great importance to explore effects of non-structural fracture blasting technique on the enhancement of the economic benefit of blasting, the reduction of the bulk rate, and the decrease in accidents of blasting, which is the hotspot research for the blasting at open pit coal mine in the arid area. By analyzing the non-structural fractured lighologic characteristics, plane of fracture of rock mass, attitude of fracture and blasting process in the typical open pit coal mine, we discussed the effect of non-structural jointed rock mass on blasting. Based on such results, we analyzed the key links of the blasting operation, such as detonating position, charge structure, initiation pattern etc., then we optimized the blasting design and evaluated the blasting effects. The results showed that for the mining area in the arid area with non-structural fractured rock mass development and large rock bulk after blasting, symmetric or asymmetric hole-by-hole millisecond minute difference initiation network along V-shaped oblique line was recommended according to the incline of the rock mass. As for the non-structural fractured rock mass affected by shear joints and tension joints, we suggest the adoption of zoning and subsection-based interline millisecond minute difference initiation network among multiple lines as well as deep-hole blasting with non-coupling column charge.
