Engineering Geology 228 (2017) 312–322

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Engineering Geology
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/enggeo

Chemical, mineralogical and textural properties of the Kope Formation MARK

mudstones: How they affect its durability
Nadeesha H. Koralegedara⁎,1, J. Barry Maynard
Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, United States

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The Kope Formation is a rock unit that extends over southwest Ohio and adjacent areas of Kentucky and Indiana,
The Kope Formation mudstones USA. It is characterized by meter-scale cycles of mudstones and limestones where thick mudstone is sandwiched
Rock fabric between thin limestone layers. Kope Formation mudstones are less durable than the mudstones in the area. They
Slake durability index cause abundant slope failures in areas of their outcrops. This study evaluates chemical, mineralogical and tex-
Slope instability
tural properties of Kope mudstones to determine why it is less durable. The Two-cycle slake durability index
(ID2) was measured on thirty mudstones belonging to three consecutive cycles of the Kope Formation. Chemical
composition and mineralogy of Kope mudstones do not show significant relationship with the ID2. Instead, a
relationship to fabric was found. Kope mudstones with two main fabric types were observed in the field; la-
minated mudstones and non-laminated mudstones. Detailed micro-fabric analysis on Kope mudstones was done
using the scanning electron microscope. Laminated mudstones with turbostratic fabric showed higher ID2 and
lower moisture content than the non-laminated mudstones with matrix fabric. The difference in the ID2 of
laminated mudstones and non-laminated mudstones is statistically significant. Both mudstone types exist in
many cycles of the Kope Formation. Thus, core samples should be selected from both types for preliminary tests
in geotechnical practice, to obtain more accurate estimations of the geotechnical properties of the Kope mud-
stones. The results and data interpretations of this study can be correlated with the mudstones and shale in
different areas of the world. Specifically, a great attention should be paid to the macro and micro textural
properties of any rock type regardless of their classification.

1. Introduction
Landslides are a common and longstanding problem in Southwest
Ohio and adjacent areas of Kentucky and Indiana. These slope failures
damage roads, buildings and other infrastructure, which will require
very expensive reconstruction. Many of these slope failures are asso-
ciated with the colluvium developed on the Kope Formation, which
underlies much of the area. Several different approaches have been
taken to study this problem including determination of the types of
landslides, mechanisms of slope failures, properties of landslide mate-
rials, influence of water on slope failures (Hough and Fleming, 1974;
Fleming and Taylor, 1980; Fleming and Johnson, 1994; Haneberg and
Gokce, 1994; Baum, 1994). However, very few studies of the properties
of Kope Formation mudstones themselves have been made (Weiss and
Sweet, 1964; Scotford, 1965; Bassarab and Huff, 1969; Fleming, 1975).
As weathering and slaking of the Kope mudstones produces thick soil
cover, which tends to fail after a heavy rain, it is important to study the
properties of the Kope mudstones that affect its durability. Further,
understanding the geotechnical properties of Kope mudstones is es-
sential to remediate the landslides associated with the Kope Formation.
The most recent study of the physical properties of Kope mudstones was
conducted by McFaddin (2008). His work presented apparent re-
lationships among some of the physical properties of the Kope mud-
stones. For example, the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) shows
positive correlation with the two-cycle slake durability index (ID2) and
the ID2 shows a negative correlation with the natural moisture content

Abbreviations: Slake durability index, ID; Two cycle slake durability index, ID2
⁎
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: koralenh@mail.uc.edu (N.H. Koralegedara).
1
Current address: Pegasus Technical Services, 46, E. Hollister Street, Cincinnati, OH 45219, United States.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2017.08.025
Received 10 February 2017; Received in revised form 30 August 2017; Accepted 30 August 2017
Available online 07 September 2017
0013-7952/ © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
N.H. Koralegedara, J.B. Maynard
Fig. 1. Location map of the sampling site, Newport Pavilion, Kentucky, USA.
of these rocks. According to his study, the ID2 provides information
about the durability as well as the strength of the Kope mudstones.
Since the durability is an important factor in determining the strength
of a rock (Koncagul and Santi, 1999) it is important to find out what
factors affect the durability of Kope mudstones.
The durability of rock depends on many factors such as, chemistry
(Bell et al., 1997), clay content (Dick and Shakoor, 1992; Moon and
Beattie, 1995; Gokceoglu et al., 2000; Dhakal et al., 2002), mineralogy
(Lashkaripour and Boomeri, 2002), moisture content (Gurgenli, 2006;
Diaz-Perez et al., 2007; Erguler and Ulusay, 2009), fabric and texture
(Gillott, 1970; Dick and Shakoor, 1992; Huppert, 1988; Moon and
Beattie, 1995), porosity (Koncagul and Santi, 1999). A detailed analysis
of these factors of the Kope mudstones and their correlation to rock
313
Engineering Geology 228 (2017) 312–322
durability has not previously been reported. The present study evalu-
ates which of the geotechnical, chemical and physical properties of the
Kope mudstones have the most influence over its durability.
1.1. Geology and the Kope Formation
Marine limestones and mudstones formed during the Ordovician
period are the geologic building blocks of the Cincinnati area. From
oldest to youngest up sequence, the most prominent rock units are the
Point Pleasant Formation (mostly limestones), Kope Formation (mostly
mudstones), Fairview Formation (half limestones, half mudstones),
Miamitown Shale and Bellevue limestones.
The Kope Formation is a 74 m thick rock unit of 445–450 MA age
N.H. Koralegedara, J.B. Maynard
Fig. 2. Stratigraphic profile of the three cycles studied in the Kope Formation exposed in
Newport Pavilion, Kentucky, USA. Height is given in meters above mean sea level. Each
cycle is numbered according to the main limestone bed number (Unpublished data by
Brett C.)
314
Engineering Geology 228 (2017) 312–322
Extremely high durable
Very high durable
Very low durable
Medium durable
High durable
Low durable
Fig. 4. The slake durability index (ID2) of Kope formation mudstones belong to the three
cycles (Cycle, 11, 12 and 13) plotted against the elevation (given in meters above mean
sea level (AMSL)). Samples were categorized according to the classification used by
Franklin and Chandra, 1972. Filled and open symbols represent laminated and non-la-
minated mudstones, respectively.
(upper Ordovician) that extends over Southwestern Ohio, Northern
Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana. The Kope, Fairview and Bellevue
Formations are progradational successions on a carbonate ramp and the
Kope Formation is the most distal facies of the carbonate ramp, which
was deposited in a low energy environment with occasional storms
(Jennette and Pryor, 1993). There are about 45–50 meter-scale cycles
of mudstones and limestones present in the Kope Formation (Holland
et al., 1997). Each cycle is defined by 0.5–10 m thick mudstone sand-
wiched between bundles of thinner (3–10 cm) skeletal limestone
(Jennette and Pryor, 1993; Holland et al., 1997; Brett et al., 2008). The
Fig. 3. Laminated mudstones (LMs) (a and c) and non-la-
minated mudstones (NLMs) (b and d) of the Kope
Formation.
N.H. Koralegedara, J.B. Maynard Engineering Geology 228 (2017) 312–322

Table 1
The two-cycle slake durability index (ID2) and the moisture content of the laminated mudstones (non-highlighted rows) and non-
laminated mudstones (highlighted rows) of the Kope Formation.

Slake durability
Cycle Sample Moisture content (%)
index (ID2)
NP-5a 29.3 89.6
NP-5b 82.8 88.3
11 NP-5c 67.2 88.8
NP-5d 21.1 89.2
NP-5e 25.7 89.0
NP-7a 84.3 90.3
NP-7b 72.2 90.1
NP-7c 91.9 91.0
NP-7d 85.7 88.4
NP-7e 89.2 92.4
NP-7f 85.2 89.0
NP-7g 79.6 88.3
NP-7h 81.2 87.6
NP-7i 66.7 86.0
NP-7j 89.2 87.7
12

NP-7k 44.9 86.4

NP-7l 83.2 90.7
NP-7m 55.3 86.2
NP-7n 82.0 91.6
NP-7p 49.5 92.1
NP-7q 39.3 89.9
NP-7r 25.5 86.3
NP-7s 38.6 86.6
NP-7u 46.6 87.6
NP-7v 44.0 86.6
NP-7aa 52.1 88.4
NP-8a 45.0 88.6
NP-8b 66.0 88.8
13

NP-8c 56.0 89.2

NP-8d 61.2 87.0
Average 61.4 88.7
Min 21.1 86
Max 91.9 92.4
STDV 22.7 1.8

relative proportion of mudstone to limestone is about 70: 30.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Sample collection
Thirty mudstone samples were collected from a newly excavated
rock exposure at Newport Pavilion – Kentucky (Fig. 1).
About 12 cycles of the Kope Formation are exposed in the outcrop
and each cycle is defined by the corresponding main limestone bed
number (Fig. 2).
Samples weighing about 2 kg were collected from three cycles
(Cycle 11, 12 and 13) within 10 cm intervals. Two different types of
Kope mudstones were identified in the field according to their distinct
behaviors; 1) readily break into thin flakes parallel to the bedding plane
(laminated mudstones (LMs)), 2) break irregularly as blocks (non-la-
minated mudstones (NLMs)) (Fig. 3). Therefore, representative portions
of both LMs and NLMs were selected from each cycle.
All samples were collected from fresh surfaces obtained by clearing
the colluvium and digging back 15–30 cm into the outcrop with
minimum disturbance. Samples were wrapped in two plastic bags to
ensure retention of field moisture.

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N.H. Koralegedara, J.B. Maynard Engineering Geology 228 (2017) 312–322

Table 2
Correlation between the fabric type and the slake durability of the Kope Formation
mudstones.

Mudstone type Fabric type Characteristics observed by Slake

scanning electron microscope durability

Non-laminated Matrix Wide angles of edge-face contacts Low

(NLMs) between clay flakes
Relatively high void ratio
Disturbed and irregular surface
area
Laminated Turbostratic Good face-face contacts between High
(LMs) clay flakes
Very low void ratio
Undisturbed surface area
Laminated Laminar Both edge-face and face-face Moderate
(LMs) contacts between clay flakes
In some areas, clusters of stacks of
clay flakes with face-face contacts
are oriented at an angle to the
bedding plane making irregular
surfaces

100

Two-cycle slake durability index-ID2 (%)

90
80
70
60
50 R² = 0.79
40
30 0.74
20
10
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Moisture content (%)

Fig. 6. Variation of the two cycle slake durability index (ID2) of the Kope Formation
mudstones, laminated (filled symbols) and non-laminated mudstones (open symbols) as a
function of moisture content.

2.2. Sample processing and measurements

Natural moisture content of the samples was measured according to

Fig. 5. Scanning electronic microscopic images of: (a) non-laminated mudstones- Matrix
type*ǂ or Book house type# fabric (dominant edge-face contacts between clay flakes), (b)
Laminated mudstones – Turbostratic*ǂ or parallel packet# fabric (dominant face-face
contacts between clay flakes), (c) Laminated mudstones with laminar fabric* (both face-
face and face-edge contacts between clay flakes). *Moon and Beattie (1995) classification.
ǂ Huppert (1988) classification. # Sloane and Kell (1966) classification.
ASTM D2216 (2005) within 2 h after the collection in order to minimize
moisture loss between the sample collection and processing. The
chemistry of the whole rock and the total carbon/sulphur content were
measured using a Rigaku 3070 X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and an
Elter CS 2000 carbon sulphur determinator, respectively. Grain size
distribution of Kope mudstone was analyzed using Beckman Coulter LS
230 particle size analyzer to check the effect of the grain size on the
durability. Pipette analysis was performed to measure the total clay size
particle content. The types of clay minerals present in the Kope mud-
stone were identified using the Siemens D-500 automated dif-
fractometer. A Philips XL 30 field emission scanning electron micro-
scope (SEM) was used to observe the fabric of Kope mudstone.
The two-cycle slake durability test (Franklin and Chandra, 1972)
was performed on thirty Kope mudstone samples according to ASTM
D4644 (2008). After the second cycle, the slaked portion of the rock
(sludge) was collected for XRF analysis to determine the chemistry of
the slakable portion of these mudstones.

316
N.H. Koralegedara, J.B. Maynard
Fig. 7. X-ray diffraction analysis of the Kope Formation mudstones (Laminated mud-
stones (LM) and non-laminated mudstones (NLM). Air dried peaks and the ethylene glycol
treated peaks are represented by solid lines and dashed lines, respectively. Main mineral
phased are labeled as follows; Ch-chlorite, I-illite, Q-quartz, Fls-fledspar, Ca-clacite.
Asymmetric 10 Å peak indicates the presence of mixed layer clays (Bassarab and Huff,
1969).
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Slake durability
Similar to McFaddin's data (McFaddin, 2008) a wide range of ID2
(20–90%) was observed in a 6 m thick section of the Kope Formation
(Fig. 4, Table 1). Analyzed samples can be classified into 4 categories;
low durable, medium durable, high durable, very high durable ac-
cording to the durability classification used by Franklin and Chandra
(1972). Based on this classification, most LMs belong to the medium-
very high durable category while all NLMs fall into the very low-
medium durable category. The mean ID2 of LMs is 71.2% whereas in
NLMs it is 38.4%. According to the “two-sample t-test” performed using
MINITAB® (version 15) statistical software, the ID2 of LMs and NLMs
are significantly different (p < 0.05). This reflects the effect of the
laminated and non-laminated nature (texture) of Kope mudstones on
their durability.
3.2. Texture/fabric
SEM images clearly showed a difference in fabric among the ex-
amined mudstones. Using the Micro-structural classification system
used by Huppert (1988), Moon and Beattie (1995) and Sloane and Kell
(1966). Matrix or Book-house/Card-house (Fig. 5(a)), Turbostratic or
317
Engineering Geology 228 (2017) 312–322
Parallel packet (Fig. 5(b)) and Laminar (Fig. 5(c)) are the three fabric
types observed among these samples.
More durable LMs have Turbostratic or Parallel packet fabric
whereas less durable, NLMs have Matrix or Book-house/Card-house
fabric. Mudstones belong to the medium durable category and with
both randomly and well oriented clays have Laminar type fabric. The
LMs with Parallel packet or Turbostratic fabric are less permeable than
the NLMs with Book-house/Card-house or Matrix type fabric (Parham
and Austin, 1969). As the permeability is high, NLMs tend to break
rapidly compared to LMs when interact with water. Hence LMs, with
well oriented clays, are more durable than the NLMs with randomly
oriented clays. The fabric type and the ID2 of the samples are compared
and listed in Table 2. Moon and Beattie (1995) observed a similar re-
lationship between the fabric and the durability of Waikato coal mea-
sures mudrocks. Similarly, Russell, 1982 demonstrated the durability of
shales in different localities can be attributed to their textural proper-
ties.
The durability of these mudstones can be related to the void ratio
and permeability difference created by the different types of fabrics.
Void ratio is relatively high in Matrix or Book-house fabric compared to
the Turbostratic or Parallel packet fabric. The moisture content data of
the Kope mudstones support this idea.
3.3. Moisture content
The moisture content of a rock can affect its strength and the dur-
ability through five processes - reducing fracture energy, decreasing
capillary tension, increasing pore pressure, reducing the friction be-
tween particles and deteriorating the rock chemically and mechanically
(Diaz-Perez et al., 2007). Moisture content of the Kope mudstones is
well correlated with the ID2 (Fig. 6, Table 1).
Mudstones that have high moisture content show low ID2 indicating
low durability while the mudstones contain low mudstones show high
ID2 indicating high durability. Seedsman (1986), pointed out that the
moisture content of shales, which do not contain Na-bearing swelling
clays gives a measure of their initial void ratio. As Kope mudstones
contain very low (unquantifiable) amounts of mixed layer clays, the
moisture content of these rocks can be taken as a measure of the void
ratio, indirectly concluding the NLMs have higher void ratio than LMs.
3.4. Mineralogy
Mineralogy is one of the principal factors that affect the durability
of rocks (Dick and Shakoor, 1992; Gokceoglu et al., 2000; Lashkaripour
and Boomeri, 2002; Dhakal et al., 2002). Especially, the presence of
swelling type clay minerals decreases the durability of rock. Powder
XRD analysis of Kope mudstones, indicates illite and chlorite as the
dominant clay minerals (Fig. 7). All the samples have similar relative
proportions of illite to chlorite, calculated by the MacDiff software
using the areas of 10 Å and 14 Å peaks of the two minerals respectively.
Thus, all the studied samples appear to be similar mineralogically.
Calcite, quartz and feldspar were the non-clay minerals identified in
these samples.
According to Dick and Shakoor (1992), the presence of mixed layer
clays may decrease the slake durability of rocks. Although the swelling
type clays like smectites were not observed, a very minor (unquantifi-
able) amount of mixed layer clays were observed in the Kope mud-
stones. Therefore, osmotic swelling occurring in these mixed layer clays
may have a very small contribution on the lower slake durability of the
Kope mudstones. Further, the small volume changes develop in illite
and chlorite as a result of crystalline swelling upon wetting may have
N.H. Koralegedara, J.B. Maynard Engineering Geology 228 (2017) 312–322

Table 3
The total clay content and the relative percentages of clay minerals in the laminated mudstones (non-highlighted rows) and non-
laminated mudstones (highlighted rows) of the Kope Formation.

thickness of
illite grains
Chlorite %
Total clay
content%

Minerals
Sample

Illite %

Other
Mean
Cycle

(nm)
NP-5a 43.7 89.6 10.4 4.6 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-5b 28.7 88.3 11.7 5.0 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
11

NP-5c 45.2 88.8 11.2 4.5 Quartz, feldspar, calcite

NP-5d 42.4 89.2 10.8 4.9 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-5e 33.6 89.0 11.0 4.9 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7a 30.6 90.3 9.7 4.7 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7b 32.1 90.1 9.9 4.7 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7c 32.4 91.0 9.0 4.6 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7d 17.2 88.4 11.6 4.4 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7e 47.7 92.4 7.6 4.8 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7f 35.1 89.0 11.0 4.8 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7g 50.3 88.3 11.7 4.7 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7h 22.9 87.6 12.4 4.9 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7i 43.1 86.0 14.1 5.0 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7j 29.9 87.7 12..3 4.6 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
12

NP-7k 49.4 86.4 13.6 4.9 Quartz, feldspar, calcite

NP-7l 31.2 90.7 9.3 5.0 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7m 46.9 86.2 13.8 4.5 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7n 40.2 91.6 8.4 4.8 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7p 40.7 92.1 7.9 4.5 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7q 33.8 89.9 10.1 5.1 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7r 43.0 86.3 13.7 4.6 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7s 32.2 86.6 13.4 4.4 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7u 34.0 87.6 12.4 4.5 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7v 53.7 86.6 13.4 4.4 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-7aa 34.8 88.4 11.4 4.7 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-8a 40.4 88.6 11.2 4.6 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
NP-8b 42.2 88.8 10.8 4.7 Quartz, feldspar, calcite
13

NP-8c 32.1 89.2 12.9 4.6 Quartz, feldspar, calcite

NP-8d 32.6 87.0 12.0 4.9 Quartz, feldspar, calcite

an effect on the lower slake durability of Kope mudstones as they are

100 rich in illite and chlorite. However, as the relative proportions of illite
Two-cycle slake durability index -ID2

90 and chlorite are similar in all the samples (Table 3), the wide variability
80 of ID2 observed in the present study cannot be explained only with the
swelling effect caused by these mixed layer clays.
70
60
(%)

50 3.5. Total clay content

40
30 There appears to be no correlation between the ID2 and the amount
of clay of the Kope mudstones (Fig. 8). According to Dick and Shakoor
20
(1992), if a mudstone consists < 50% clay size particles, the influence
10
of clay minerals on its durability is diminished. According to the par-
0 ticle size analysis, the studied Kope mudstones have clay content
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
ranged from 17 to 54%, with the median of 37% (Tables 3 and 4).
Total clay content (%)
Scotford (1965) also reported the average clay content of Kope mud-
Fig. 8. Variation of the two cycle slake durability index (ID2) of the Kope Formation stones is as 38%. Since almost all the studied samples have < 50% clay,
mudstones, laminated (filled symbols) and non-laminated mudstones (open symbols) as a the effect of clay content on the durability of the Kope mudstones is
function of total clay content.
reduced compared to clay-rich mudstones.

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N.H. Koralegedara, J.B. Maynard Engineering Geology 228 (2017) 312–322

Table 4
Particle size distribution of laminated mudstones (non-highlighted rows) and non-laminated mudstones (highlighted rows) of the Kope
Formation.

Cycle Sample Particle size distribution of the sludge

>0.063 mm <0.063 mm <5µm <2µm

NP-5a 18.6 81.3 43.7 5.62

NP-5b 15.5 84.5 28.7 6.1
11

NP-5c 20.3 79.7 45.2 6.9

NP-5d 17.9 82.1 42.4 6.4
NP-5e 12.7 87.3 33.6 5.7
NP-7a 64.6 35.3 30.6 13.6
NP-7b 59.2 40.7 32.1 14.8
NP-7c 83.3 16.7 32.4 11.5
NP-7d 38.8 61.2 17.2 13.7
NP-7e 81.9 18.1 47.7 10.0
NP-7f 66.5 33.5 35.1 11.8
NP-7g 74.5 25.5 50.3 7.5
NP-7h 38.4 61.6 22.9 7.7
NP-7i 57.7 42.2 43.1 9.9
NP-7j 6.8 93.2 29.9 8.7
12

NP-7k 29.5 70.5 49.4 13.9

NP-7l 46.3 53.7 31.2 9.7
NP-7m 38.9 61.0 46.9 8.2
NP-7n 23.8 76.2 40.2 7.8
NP-7p 51.7 48.3 40.7 16.7
NP-7q 26.4 73.6 33.8 12.2
NP-7r 53.1 46.9 43.0 17.9
NP-7s 73.9 26.1 32.2 15.7
NP-7u 63.1 36.8 34.0 15.1
NP-7v 1.8 98.2 53.7 10.9
NP-7aa 22.8 77.2 34.8 6.0
NP-8a 21.5 78.5 40.4 6.5
NP-8b 9.9 90.1 42.2 5.8
13

NP-8c 30.3 69.7 32.1 5.8

NP-8d 17.9 82.1 32.6 6.4

3.6. Chemical composition 4. Conclusions

According to the XRF analysis (Table 5), all the samples have similar
chemical composition indicating no correlation between the chemical
composition and the durability of Kope mudstones. The chemical index
of alteration (CIA), introduced by Nesbitt and Young (1982) can be
used as an indication of weathering intensity of a given rock. CIA de-
fined as follows,
Al2O3
CIA = × 100
Al2O3 + CaO∗ + Na2O + K2O
where all the values are given in molar proportions and CaO* re-
presents the CaO associated only in the silicate fraction. The CaO*
correction was made assuming molar proportion of CaO is equivalent to
Na2O as described by McLennan (1993). The CIA of the analyzed
samples ranged from 65 to 72 (Table 6), with the average of 69. The
narrow range of CIA suggests that all the samples have a similar degree
of chemical weathering and eliminates the effect of variation in che-
mical weathering on slake durability of the studied samples.
The Kope mudstones can be categorized into two main types based
on their macro-fabric; laminated mudstones (LMs) and non-laminated
mudstones (NLMs). As observed by the SEM, the micro-fabric, specifi-
cally the arrangements of clay particles of the two mudstone types are
also different. LMs have Turbostratic fabric whereas NLMs have Matrix
fabric (Huppert, 1988 and Moon and Beattie, 1995 classifications).
Most of the LMs have high two-cycle slake durability index (ID2), while
the NLMs have low ID2. Conversely, the moisture content and the void
ratio are high in NLMs than LMs.
Since both LMs and NLMs have similar chemical compositions, the
effect of chemical composition of Kope mudstones on their slake dur-
ability is negligible. Similarly, any effect of mineralogy on the slake
durability of Kope mudstones was not identified. A significant corre-
lation was not observed between the percent clay size particles of the
Kope mudstones and their durability. This is probably due to the ab-
sence of swelling type clays in Kope mudstones in measurable amounts.
Present study showed no significant effect of number of cycles of the

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Table 5
Chemical composition of Kope Formation mudstones obtained by X-ray fluorescence analysis. Highlighted and non-highlighted rows
represent non-laminated mudstones and laminated mudstones, respectively.

Sample

MnO 2

Fe2 O 3
Cycle

Al2O 3

Na 2O
MgO
TiO 2

P2O 5

SiO 2
CaO

K 2O
NP-5a 0.17 1.00 0.14 3.82 3.74 52.65 16.61 7.67 5.09 0.60
NP-5b 0.19 0.98 0.16 6.61 4.70 50.57 13.83 6.82 4.22 0.49
11

NP-5c 0.17 1.06 0.12 3.36 3.62 54.55 15.11 8.08 5.07 0.73
NP-5d 0.17 1.01 0.14 3.84 3.81 52.91 15.30 8.00 5.04 0.64
NP-5e 0.17 1.06 0.13 3.58 3.69 54.18 15.00 8.08 5.01 0.74
NP-7a 0.18 0.96 0.13 4.59 4.14 52.33 15.45 7.76 4.97 0.57
NP-7b 0.19 0.89 0.30 2.13 3.22 50.69 17.43 7.79 4.41 0.55
NP-7c 0.22 0.78 0.46 8.11 3.00 47.06 14.68 6.44 3.68 0.59
NP-7d 0.22 0.48 0.36 17.42 2.58 36.92 11.77 4.91 3.09 0.46
NP-7e 0.19 0.90 0.20 6.52 2.81 52.46 15.26 7.11 3.92 0.70
NP-7f 0.19 0.88 0.20 6.93 2.80 52.49 15.12 6.93 3.90 0.72
NP-7g 0.18 0.98 0.15 5.62 4.42 52.44 14.60 7.29 4.38 0.60
NP-7h 0.19 0.83 0.17 6.85 2.90 50.51 15.52 7.32 4.04 0.61
NP-7i 0.18 0.98 0.14 4.31 3.95 53.53 15.28 7.68 4.69 0.68
NP-7j 0.20 0.88 0.17 5.72 3.06 51.60 16.01 7.36 4.20 0.63
12

NP-7k 0.18 0.98 0.13 4.36 4.07 52.99 15.73 7.75 5.00 0.61
NP-7l 0.20 0.87 0.18 6.38 2.82 52.57 15.58 6.88 4.03 0.68
NP-7m 0.17 0.99 0.12 3.66 3.78 53.40 16.02 7.85 5.17 0.65
NP-7n 0.18 0.90 0.17 4.65 2.97 52.70 16.37 7.51 4.29 0.61
NP-7p 0.19 0.90 0.13 3.92 3.08 52.51 16.84 7.71 4.43 0.60
NP-7q 0.23 0.55 0.35 11.52 2.76 40.72 13.47 5.69 3.50 0.47
NP-7r 0.17 0.96 0.11 4.06 3.93 52.69 15.92 7.84 5.04 0.61
NP-7s 0.19 0.88 0.15 2.82 3.22 51.69 17.53 7.89 4.61 0.54
NP-7u 0.18 0.81 0.21 5.41 3.03 49.39 16.36 7.39 4.23 0.55
NP-7v 0.19 0.88 0.19 3.87 3.21 51.15 17.14 7.87 4.46 0.56
NP-7aa 0.19 0.94 0.17 6.15 4.69 49.14 14.58 7.57 4.60 0.42
NP-8a 0.19 0.93 0.17 4.68 4.02 51.79 15.36 7.43 4.61 0.52
NP-8b 0.19 0.96 0.21 5.96 4.51 50.83 14.21 7.28 4.30 0.51
13

NP-8c 0.20 0.96 0.20 5.62 4.41 51.28 14.13 7.63 4.31 0.53
NP-8d 0.21 0.95 0.22 5.99 4.61 50.38 14.57 7.41 4.40 0.49
Average 0.19 0.90 0.19 5.61 3.58 50.94 15.36 7.36 4.42 0.59
Min 0.17 0.48 0.11 2.13 2.58 36.92 11.77 4.91 3.09 0.42
Max 0.23 1.06 0.46 17.42 4.7 54.55 17.53 8.08 5.17 0.74
STDV 0.02 0.12 0.08 2.88 0.66 3.67 1.22 0.69 0.51 0.08

slake durability test on the durability classification of the Kope
Formation mudstones. However, as previous studies (Gokceoglu et al.,
2000) suggested, increase in the number of cycles of slake durability
test may be significant for some clay bearing rocks. Therefore, an at-
tention should be paid on selecting the number of cycles of slake dur-
ability test for clay bearing rocks in future studies.
Considering all these factors, it is postulated that the high pore-
water pressure created inside the pore spaces in Kope mudstones ra-
pidly fractures the rock upon contact with water (mechanical weath-
ering). Since the void ratio of the NLMs is higher compared to the LMs,
the breakdown process upon contacting with water is more rapid in
NLMs compared to LMs. The effect of above properties of the Kope
mudstones on their slake durability may differ according to the degree
of weathering of sample. Hence above conclusions are valid only for
fresh samples. For weathered mudstones the effect of mineralogy and
chemistry may play a significant role on the durability beyond the effect
of textural properties (Taylor, 1988; Pye and Miller, 1990; Bhattarai
et al., 2006; Nandi and Whitelaw, 2009).
Our results have implications for geotechnical practice. Seemingly
identical mudstones have quite different ID2 values and hence may have
quite different unconfined compressive strengths (McFaddin, 2008).
Therefore, it is important to have descriptive loggings of mudstone core
to reveal the fabric and to choose samples for preliminary geotechnical
tests representing the proportions of both LMs and NLMs in a given
section. For example, if only LMs were chosen, the durability and the
UCS would be significantly overestimated for the given section.
Even though the present study mainly considered the Kope mud-
stones and the correlation between the chemical, physical and textural
properties to their geotechnical properties, the results and data inter-
pretations of this study can be correlated with the mudstones and shale

320
N.H. Koralegedara, J.B. Maynard Engineering Geology 228 (2017) 312–322

Table 6
Total carbon (C), total sulphur (S) and chemical index of alteration (CIA) of the laminated mudstones (non-highlighted rows) and non-
laminated mudstones (highlighted rows) of the Kope Formation.

Sample

CIA #
Cycle

Total

Total
C%

S%
NP-5a 1.02 0.36 68.9
NP-5b 2.28 0.35 69.1
11

NP-5c 0.93 0.33 65.7

NP-5d 1.08 0.5 66.9
NP-5e 0.99 0.39 65.6
NP-7a 5.90 0.48 68.0
NP-7b 2.34 0.54 72.6
NP-7c 3.70 0.46 71.2
NP-7d 6.26 0.89 70.8
NP-7e 2.25 0.67 69.9
NP-7f 2.29 0.56 69.6
NP-7g 1.90 0.61 68.5
NP-7h 2.70 0.80 70.9
NP-7i 1.21 0.68 67.6
NP-7j 2.25 0.48 70.8
12

NP-7k 1.19 0.39 67.9

NP-7l 2.26 0.38 70.2
NP-7m 1.02 0.47 67.4
NP-7n 2.10 0.48 71.1
NP-7p 2.07 0.52 71.3
NP-7q 1.19 0.59 71.6
NP-7r 1.09 0.66 68.1
NP-7s 2.14 0.40 72.1
NP-7u 2.94 0.76 71.9
NP-7v 2.52 0.71 71.9
NP-7aa 2.39 0.66 69.6
NP-8a 1.81 0.54 69.6
NP-8b 2.15 0.47 69.2
13

NP-8c 2.21 0.76 68.8

NP-8d 2.29 0.39 69.6
Average 2.21 0.54 69.5
Min 0.93 0.33 65.6
Max 6.26 0.89 72.6
STDV 1.25 0.15 1.8

#
CIA, calculated by the ratio between Al2O3 and the total of Al2O3 + K2O + CaO* + Na2O in molar proportions and is expressed in
percentage (Nesbitt and Young, 1982). *CaO (CaO associated with silicates) is assumed to be equivalent to the moles of Na2O of a
given sample as suggested by McLennan, 1993.

in different areas of the world as well. Specifically, a great attention
should be paid onto the macro and micro textural properties of the
given rock type regardless of their name.
Acknowledgment
This project was supported by the University of Cincinnati and all
the laboratory work was performed in the Department of Geology,
University of Cincinnati. The authors highly appreciate Dr. Mark
Bowers, Dr. Warren Huff and Dr. Tammie Gerke for their valuable
comments and support on this study.
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