Abstract
Sandstones are present in enormous quantity in parts of south-eastern Nigeria. However, engineering data for project design and construction are unavailable for these sandstones, which serve as aggregates and foundation for many infrastructures. Besides, it is expensive and time consuming to perform direct tests in the field to generate these data. This work presents an engineering evaluation for some of sandstones based on relatively simple and cheap tests and relationship. The aim was to determine compressive strength, Young’s modulus, density, porosity and water absorption. These physio-mechanical parameters were then used to establish relationships. On the basis of these relationships, an evaluation scheme was developed. The parameters with good relations were used to develop predictive equations for estimating uniaxial compressive strength. Evaluation of sandstones from south-eastern Nigeria showed variations from not suitable to suitable as construction materials. Practically, field observations showed no adverse effects on buildings and roads where these sandstones have been used for construction as foundations and aggregates.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adeleye DR, Fayose EA (1978) Stratigraphy of the type section of Awi Formation, Odukpani area, southern Nigeria. Niger J Min Geol 15:35–37
Akram M, Bakar MZA (2007) Correlation between UCS and PLI for Salt-Range Rocks. Pakistan J Eng Appl Sci 1:1–8
Amajor LC (1987) The Eze-Aku sandstone ridges (Turonian) of southeastern Nigeria: a reinterpretation of their depositional origin. Niger J Min Geol 23:17–26
Anon (1977) The description of rock masses for engineering purposes. Engineering Group Working Party Report. Q J Eng Geol 10:355–388
Anon (1979) Classification of rocks and soils for engineering geological mapping. Part 1 Rock and soil materials. Bull Int Assoc Eng Geol 19:364–371
ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) (1980) Annual Book of ASTM Standards-Natural Building Stones: Soil and Rock, Part 19. ASTM Publication Office, Philadelphia
ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) (1999) Annual Book of ASTM Standards- Construction: Building seals and sealants; Fire standards; Dimension stone, vol 0407. ASTM Publication Office, West Conshohocken
Baek H, Kim D-M, Kim K, Choi Y-S, Kang S-S, Kang J-S (2013) Correlation between UCS and PLS index of the Pungchon Limestone, Korea. Geophysical Research Abstracts 15: EGU 2013-2451
Bell FG (1978a) Petrographical factors relating to porosity and permeability of Fell sandstone. Q J Eng Geol 11(2):113–126
Bell FG (1978b) The physical and mechanical properties fo Fell sandstones, Northumberland, England. Eng Geol 12:1–29
Bell FG (2007) Engineering Geology. Butterworth-Heinemann an imprint of Elsevier, India
Bell FG, Lindsay P (1999) The petrographic and geomechanical properties of some sandstones from the Newspaper Member of the Natal Group near Durban, South Africa. Eng Geol 53:57–81
Bieniawski ZT (1975) Point load test in geotechnical practice. Eng Geol 9:1–11
Broch E, Franklin JA (1972) The point load strength test. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 1(4):669–697
Brown CE (1998) Applied multivariate statistics in geohydrology and related sciences. Springer, Berlin
BS (British Standard Institution) BS 812–1(1975) Methods for sampling and testing of mineral aggregates, Sands and Fillers - Part 2: Methods of determination of physical properties, British Standards Institution. Committee: RDE/5. Superseded p 24
Cargill JA, Shakoor A (1990) Evaluation of empiral methods for measuring the the UCS of rock. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 27:495–503
Chen H, Hu Z-Y (2003) Some factors affecting the unaxial strength of weak sandstones. Bull Eng Geol Env 62:323–332
Davis JC (1986) Statistics and data analysis in Geology, 2nd edn. John Wiley and Sons, New York
Deere DU, Miller RP (1966) Engineering classification and index properties for intact rocks. Tech. Report Airforce Weapons Lab., New Mexico, No AFNL-TR, pp 65–116
Dullien FAL (1992) Porous Media. Academic Press, Fluid Transport and Pore Structure, p 1992
Ebong UE (1989) The sedimentology of the Cretaceous highway transect from the Calabar flank across the Mamfe embayment. Unpublished M.Sc. thesis, University of Calabar, Nigeria
Edet A (1992) Physical properties and indirect estimation of microfractures using Nigerian carbonate rocks as examples. Eng Geol 33:71–80
Ekwueme BN, Nyong EE, Petters SW (1995) Geological excursion guide book to Oban massif, Calabar Flank and Mamfe Embayment, Southeastern Nigeria. Decford Publishers Ltd, Calabar
Essien NU, Edet AE (2000) Mineralogy of clay components of the Mfamosing Limestone, SE Nigeria. Global J Pure Appl Sci 7(4):683–687
Esu EO, Edet AE, Teme SC, Okereke CS (1994) A study of some Nigerian carbonate rocks for the building construction industry. Eng Geol 37:271–283
Fahy MP, Guccione MJ (1979) Estimating strength of sandstones using petrographic thin section data. Bull Int Assoc Eng Geol 16(4):467–485
Farah R (2011) Correlations between index properties and unconfined compressive strength of weathered Ocala Limestone. University of North Florida (UNF) Theses and Dissertations Paper 142. http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/142
Folk RL (1974) Petrology of Sedimentary rocks. Hemphill Publishing Company, Austin, p 125
Franklin JA (1985) Suggested method for determining point load strength. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 22:51–60
Ghosh DK, Srivastava M (1991) Point load strength: an index for classification of rock material. Bull Int Assoc Eng Geol 44:27–33
Goodman RE (1980) Introduction to Rock Mechanics, 2nd edn. John Wiley, New York, p 478
Grasso P, Xu S, Mahtab A (1992) Problems and promises of index testing of rocks. In: Proceedings of the 33rd US symposium on rock mechanics, Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 879–888
Gunsallus KL, Kulhawy FH (1984) A comparative evaluation of rock strength measures. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 21:233–248
Hamrol A (1961) A quantitative classification of weathering and weatherability of rocks. In: Proceedings, 5th international conference on soil mechanics and foundation engineering, p 771
Hoque M (1977) Petrographic differentiation of tectonically controlled sedimentary cycles, southeastern Nigeria. Sed Geol 17:235–245
Iloeje NP (2001) A new geography of Nigeria. New Revised Edition, Longman
ISRM (International Society for Rock Mechanics) (1979) Commission on Standardization of Laboratory and Field tests, suggested methods for determining water content, porosity, density, absorption and related properties and swelling and slake durability properties. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 16:148–156
ISRM (International Society for Rock Mechanics) (1981) Rock Chracterization, Testing and Mointoring. In: Brown ET (ed) ISRM Suggested Methods. Pergamon, Oxford
JahanGer ZK (2013) Correlation between point load index and very low uniaxial compressive strength of some Iraqi rocks. Aust J Basic Appl Sci 7(7):216–229
Jeng FS, Weng MC, Lin ML, Huang TH (2004) Influence of petrographic parameters on geotechnical properties of tertiary sandstones from Taiwan. Eng Geol 73:71–91
Jumikis AR (1983) Rock Mechanics. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, p 613
Kohno M, Maeda H (2011) Estimate of uniaxial compressive strength of hydrothermally altered rocks from northeastern Hokkaido, Japan based on axial point load strength tests results. Int J JCRM 7(1):17–23
Koukis G, Sabatakakis N, Papanakli S (2007) Laboratory testing properties of sandstones Bull Geological Society of Greece XXXX. In: Proceedings of the 11th international congress, Athens
Mubiayi MP (2013) Characterisation of sandstones: mineralogy and physical properties. In: Proceedings of the world congress on engineering, vol III, July 3–5, 2013, London, UK
Nazir R, Momeni E, Armaghani DJ, Amin MFM (2013) Correlation between unconfined compressive strength and indirect tensile strength of limestone rock samples. EJGE 18:1737–1746
Onodera TF, Asoka KHM (1980) Relation between texture and mechanical properties of crystalline rocks. Bull Int Assoc Eng Geol 22:173–177
Petters SW (1982) Central West African Cretaceous-Tertiary Benthic Foraminifera and Stratigraphy. Paleontologr A 179:1–104
Petters SW, Okereke CS, Nwajide CS (1987) Geology of the Mamfe Rift, sotheastern Nigeria. In: Matheis G, Schandelmerer H (eds) Current Research in African Earth Sciences. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 299–302
Pettijohn FJ (1975) Sedimentary rocks, 3rd edn. Harper and Row Pub, New York
Quane SL, Russel JK (2003) rock strength as a metric of welding intensity in pyroclastic deposits. Eur J Min 15:855–864
Reyment RA (1965) Aspects of geology of Nigeria. Ibadan University Press, Ibadan, p 145
Rusnak J, Mark C (2000) Using the point load test to determine the UCS of coal. In: 19th Ground control conference in mining, West Virginia University, pp 362–371
Shakoor A, Bonelli RE (1991) Relationships between petrographic characteristics, engineering index properties and mechanical properties of selected sandstones. Bull Int Assoc Eng Geol XXVIII(1):55–71
Shalabi FI, Cording EJ, Al-Hattamleh OM (2007) Estimation of rock engineering properties using hardness tests. Eng Geol 90:138–147
Sheraz AM, Emad MZ, Shahzad M, Arshad SM (2014) Relation between uniaxial compressive strength, point load index and sonic wave velocity for dolerite. Pakistan J Sci 66(1):60–66
Tugrul A, Zarif IH (1999) Correlation of mineralogical and textural charateristics with engineering properties of selected granitic rocks from Turkey. Eng Geol 51:303–317
Turk N, Dearman WR (1985) A correlation equation on the influence of length-to-diameter ratio on the uniaxial compressive strength of rocks. Eng Geol 22:293–300
Ulusay R, Türeli K, Ider MH (1994) Prediction of engineering properties of a selected litharenite sandstone from its petrographic characteristics using correlation and multivariate statistical techniques. Eng Geol 37:135–157
Vasarhelyi B (2003) Some observations regarding the strength and deformability of sandstones in dry and saturated conditions. Bull Eng Geol Env 62:245–249
Xu S, Grasso P, Mahtab A (1990) Use of Schmidt hammer for estimating mechanical properties of weak rock. In: 6th International IAEG congress. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 511–519
Yilmaz I, Sendir H (2002) Correlation of Schmidt hardness with unconfined compressive strength and Young´s modulus in gypsum from Sivas (Turkey). Eng Geol 66:211–219
Zorlu K, Gokceoglu Ocakoglu F, Nefeslioglu HA, Acikalin S (2008) Prediction of uniaxial compressive strength of sandstones using petrography-based models. Eng Geol 96:141–158
Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Bonn for providing fellowship and field equipment for part of this study.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Edet, A. Correlation Between Physiomechanical Parameters and Geotechnical Evaluations of Some Sandstones Along the Calabar/Odukpani–Ikom–Ogoja Highway Transect, Southeastern Nigeria. Geotech Geol Eng 36, 135–149 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-017-0311-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-017-0311-z