Ana May L.

Baniel

Module in Geo (Geology for Civil Engineers): week 3 and 4

1. Why is it important to investigate the classification of rocks in a site?

Geology is the study of the earth, the materials it is comprised of, their structure, and the impact
of natural forces operating on them. It is crucial to civil engineering because all work done by
civil engineers involves the earth and its properties. Geology is so significant that it is required in
civil engineering programs at the university level. Engineers must understand the ground on
which a civil engineering project is built in order for it to succeed. Geologists examine the terrain
to see if it is stable enough to support the project.

Rocks are the most common material which is used in the construction of foundation. And it is
necessary to understand the Classification of materials, Material Properties, and Selection of
materials for engineering purpose. Selecting a suitable material base upon the condition of
operation and machinability and many other factors is also a big task.

2. What are the textures of rocks?

Texture refers to the sizes and shapes of grains, the relationships between neighboring grains,
and the orientation of grains within a rock. The following are the textures of rock:

A. Crystalline: All fresh igneous rocks, however formed including porphyritic types with
large crystals get in a finer grained matrix, and glassy types with crystals too small to be
seen by the naked eye.
B. Foliated: Metamorphic schists and also slates and phyllites with well-developed
cleavages.
C. Clastic: All clastic rocks are sedimentary and may show bedding planes.
D. Aphanitic Texture. Aphanitic rocks have mineral grains that are mostly too small to be
seen with the naked eye or a hand lens, like this rhyolite. Basalt is another igneous rock
with the aphanitic texture.
E. Equigranular Texture. Rocks with equigranular have mineral grains that are generally
the same size. This example is a granite.
F. Glassy Texture. Glassy rocks have no or almost no grains at all, as in this quickly
chilled pahoehoe basalt or in obsidian.
G. Phaneritic Texture. Phaneritic rocks have mineral grains that are large enough to be
seen with the naked eye or a hand lens, like this granite.
H. Poikilitic Texture. Poikilitic texture is one in which large crystals, like this feldspar grain,
contain small grains of other minerals scattered inside them.
I. Porphyritic Texture. Rocks with porphyritic texture like this andesite have larger
mineral grains, or phenocrysts, in a matrix of smaller grains. In other words, they display
two distinctive sizes of grains that are visible to the naked eye.
J. Pyroclastic Texture. Rocks with pyroclastic texture are made of pieces of volcanic
material that are created in an explosive eruption, like this welded tuff.
 K. Spinifex Texture. Spinifex texture found only in komatiite, consists of large
crisscrossing platy crystals of olivine. Spinifex is a spiny Australian grass.
L. Vesicular Texture. Rocks with vesicular texture are full of bubbles. It always indicates a
volcanic rock, like this scoria.
3. What are the Engineering Group Classification of rocks?

The index qualities of rocks are of particular relevance to construction and quarrying
industries. No differentiation is made in identifying them for this usage because there are
typically no substantial distinctions between several rock kinds when utilizing the criteria of
these index qualities.

Several rock types are grouped together based on their most important engineering
qualities, and each group is named after a well-known rock within it. Many of the rock types
included in these groupings have clear affinities, but three of them, basalt, gabbro, and granite,
feature rock types that appear out of place.

Inparticular, Epidiorite and hornblende-schists have been included in the basalt group,
despite the fact that they are both metamorphic rocks with a well-developed foliation. Their grain
size could potentially be much bigger than basalt and other fine-grained igneous rocks in the
group. All of the rocks in this group have comparable density, although their engineering
qualities can vary greatly.

More so, Basic and ultra-basic plutonic igneous rock types have been included in the
gabbro group, implying a wide range of density from almost 2.8 to 3.3, and basic gneisses have
been included despite their banding. The grain size of the rocks in this group is similar.

In the granite group, acid gneisses possessing banding are included along with acid and
some intermediate plutonic igneous rocks. Granulite, a high-grade metamorphic rock, is
included, which is understandable given its poorly formed fabric and coarse grain.

Although an acid igneous rock, pegmatite has a large crystal size (commonly referred to
as a pegmatitic texture), making its inclusion difficult to justify. Because it has no resemblance
to any of the other rock types in this category.

Apart from the aforementioned discrepancies, the engineering group classification is

appropriate.

In the industry, traditional names are often employed to describe different rock kinds. In
the quarrying industry, whinstone refers to any fine-grained basic igneous rock. In the block
stone industry, free stone refers to any sedimentary rock having thick layers that can be
processed in any direction.

4. Rocks are identified by their Classification, Properties, and texture.