Geotechnical and Mineralogical Characterization of Soils Derived from Schist along Shango-Chanchaga Highway, Minna, Central Nigeria

Salome Hephzibah Waziri, Abdullahi Idris-Nda, Irmiya Samson Amoka, Yusuf Ishaq

Department of Geology and Mining, Ibrahim Badamasi University, Lapai, Nigeria.
Department of Geology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria.

DOI: 10.4236/jmmce.2013.16056                

Abstract

Geotechnical studies were carried out on soils from Shango-Chanchaga highway in Minna, in relation to the petrographic characteristics of the parent rock. Samples were obtained from 5 trial pits at 1 km interval for geotechnical analysis. The moisture content varies from 35.0% to 58.5%, liquid limit ranges from 29.0% to 43.0%, plastic limit ranges between 9.0% and 26.5%, while plasticity index ranges from 12.0 to 33.5. The optimum moisture content (OMC) ranges from 12.0 to 14.0, and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) ranges from 2 to 21. The diffractograms showed that the dominant minerals were clinochore (Mg,Fe)₆(Si,Al)₄O₁₀(OH)8, quartz (SiO₂), cordierite (Mg₂Al₄Si₅O₁₈Ar_0.625), and albite (Na_0.98Ca_0.02Al_1.02Si_2.98O18). The results showed that there exists a relationship between the mineral composition, the texture of the rock, and the geotechnical characteristics of the soil types.

Keywords

Minerals; Petrographic Characteristics; Rock; Soil

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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