VTCA and Virginia Tech Launch Blast Day

Virgina Tech student activates blast detonator.

Engineering Students at Virginia Tech declare their engineering field of study at the beginning of their sophomore year. To introduce first-year engineering students to the Mining and Minerals Engineering program at Virginia Tech, VTCA and the mining department developed Blast Day.

The Blast Day event is a tour of a VTCA member aggregate mining operation centered around a production blast so students can see the scale of a quarry operation and learn about the products used.

The first Blast Day was held on September 2, 2021, at Salem Stone’s Holston River Quarry in Dublin, VA, where 12 engineering students along with the head of the Mining and Minerals Engineering Department, Dr. Kray Luxbacher, visited.

Scott Ross and Chip Dunstan, of Salem Stone welcomed the students and gave an overview of the operation. Danny Booth, Plant Manager for Holston River Quarry, conducted the tour.

At the blast viewing area, the students were treated to an explanation of the blast and what they were going to see. Salem Stone had the students draw numbers to select a “guest blaster” who would have the honor of activating the detonator to initialize the blast!

Jasmine Ramirez, first-year engineering student from the Dominican Republic was the lucky winner and got to “blow up” the rocks!

The Blast Day event was successful and Dr. Kray Luxbacher sent the below note:

“Chip and Scott:

I just wanted to thank you both so much for yesterday’s blast day. It was an enormous success. I hear there was lots of good chatter in the vans on the way home and genuine interest in mining. I do not think we could have asked for a better day, and I just cannot thank you enough.

Rob, I am so glad you were able to join us and see your Blast Day come to fruition!

Thank you all again — it is sometimes exhausting battling public perception around mining, but I am so grateful for the generosity and support of our alumni and friends in industry.

Kray”

Virginia Tech received such an overwhelming response to the Blast Day event that there is now a waiting list of first-year students that want to attend the next Blast Day!

VTCA would like to thank our member Salem Stone and the Holston River Quarry for hosting the Blast Day event.