Influence of parent lithology on field appearances and engineering properties of indurated laterites under same geographical conditions

Abstract

Laterites derived from different parent lithologies in the same tropical area and under the same climatic condition are likely to have different engineering properties. In this study, two nearby abandoned laterite quarries at Haripur and Tengara in Dhenkanal district (in the state of Odisha, India) were investigated. The first objective of this study was to evaluate the strength and physical properties of the indurated laterites with reference to the characterization of the selected profiles. The other drive of this work was to demonstrate how different parent lithologies of these two lateritic profiles that share same geographical conditions can be related to the variation of engineering properties of the indurated laterites. In order to address these two objectives, the lateritic profiles were characterized which was followed by the determination of strength and physical properties of the indurated laterites; petrographic study; and XRD analysis.Although the variation patterns of engineering properties (i.e. uniaxial compressive, point load and Brazilian tensile strengths; effective porosity; dry density; vug volumetric percentage; and slake durability indices) of the indurated laterites with profile depths at Haripur and Tengara show prominent differences, such variations depict a good compliance with the characterized horizons of the respective profiles. Based on the analysis of the engineering properties in relation to characterized profiles, it was shown that for construction purposes, the indurated laterites of both areas can be classified based on the point load strength. From the geological investigation, it was ascertained that the difference in engineering properties between the indurated laterites of Haripur and Tengara is very much dependent on the mineralogy such as sesquioxides, clay content and other minerals altered from the parent lithologies.