Geotechnical and Mineralogical Characterization of Soils Derived from Schist along Shango-Chanchaga Highway, Minna, Central Nigeria
- 1 Department of Geology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria
- 2 Department of Geology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria
- 3 Department of Geology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria
- 4 Department of Geology and Mining, Ibrahim Badamasi University, Lapai, Nigeria
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) 4 O 10 (OH)8, quartz (SiO 2 ), cordierite (Mg 2 Al 4 Si 5 O 18 Ar 0.625 ), and albite (Na 0.98 Ca 0.02 Al 1.02 Si 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.
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