Engineering properties and petrographic characteristics of rocks in gujarat to be used as construction material

The mineralogical composition, water absorption, porosity, density, true specific gravity, slake durability and unconfined compressive strength of 65 rock samples from widely spread regions of Gujarat along-with their petrographic characteristics are determined. An attempt is made to study the correlation in these engineering properties with respect to petrographic characteristics of these rocks so that good-quality rocks, to be used as construction material, may be identified for their locations. The results of the-study indicated that the samples are generally a function of a wide range of petrographic characteristics including mineralogical composition, grain size and proportion of strength/weak minerals. The engineering characteristics suggest that igneous rocks are most suitable as construction material followed by metamorphic rock. Sedimentary rocks, though having high slake durability index but low UCS, should be preferred least.