Marquis Top Engineers

Dale S. Preece, PhD

Title: Blast Mining Engineer
Company: Dyno Nobel
Location: Saratoga Springs, Utah, United States

Dale Preece, Blast Mining Engineer at Dyno Nobel, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Engineers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in explosives engineering and research.

Following obtaining a Bachelor of Science in 1979 and then a Master of Science in 1980 in civil engineering from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, Dr. Preece continued his education with a Doctor of Philosophy in the same discipline in 1986 from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Dr. Preece has excelled for over forty years in the field of explosives engineering, with significant experience with the basic physics of explosives safety, detonation, shock physics, seismic charges and all aspects of rock blasting, as well as management of personnel engaged in these disciplines. He has excelled as the author of DMC (Distinct Motion Code) and DMC-3D distinct element computer programs for predicting blasting induced rock movement, which were the first of their kind in the blasting industry. In addition, he created the concepts and guided development of the revolutionary new Dyno Nobel blast modeling capabilities, FDM (Fracture Density Model) and GEM (Geologic Element Motion), as well as patents for body armor, explosive devices, and numerous blast modeling techniques.

As a principal and distinguished member of the technical staff with Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque from 1996 to 2007, Dr. Preece led a $2.5M five-year project for prediction and control of sand production in oil wells; conducted rock mechanics studies for underground structures in salt formations and hard rock for the U.S. Department of Energy; served as technical leader for five engineers and three technicians on a variety of explosives engineering projects; and initiated several investigative projects and obtained an armored garment patent.

Dr. Preece found much success from 2007 to 2018 with Orica, one of the world’s largest providers of commercial explosives and blasting systems to the mining, quarrying, oil and gas, and construction markets, as a senior research associate, global technology manager and senior manager of explosive applications research. He led researchers in the design and continued development of software for predicting the results and effects of rock blasting; developed, through proof-of-concept stage, a new focused energy explosive booster; and conducted training courses.

Since 2018, as general manager of blast modeling technology with Dyno Nobel, a leading provider of explosives used in coal and metal mining, quarry and construction as well as pipeline and seismic used for oil and gas exploration, Dr. Preece has driven development of the firm’s blast modeling capabilities utilizing state-of-art computing resources in terms much faster processors, substantially increased memory and cloud computing. In addition, since 2018 he has prospered as a senior consultant to the rock blasting and explosives industry with the Moncourt Group in Saratoga Springs, Utah.

To honor his accomplishments in his field, Dr. Preece has received a Distinguished Award and a Presidents’ Award from the International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE). He is the author of 140 publications in professional journals and conference proceedings. Besides his membership in ISEE, Dr. Preece’s other professional organizations include the FRAGBLAST International Organizing Committee (FIOC) and the Society of Mining Engineers (SME).

In the coming years, Dr. Preece hopes to continue his work as a general manager at Dyno Nobel Inc. He enjoys what he does and he enjoys the freedom to do the things that he needs to get their projects developed. He also appreciates the fact that the company is trusting him for the work that he does.

For more information, please visit:
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Dyno Nobel
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