What are Geotechnical properties?

An important basis for the planning and construction of building and infrastructure projects
(comprising various types of structures such as a foundation, excavation pit, land
reclamation, beach nourishment, etc.) is the knowledge of the ground conditions. For this
purpose, the geotechnical investigation with its respective services shall be carried out. Their
nature and extent depend on the type of structure, the difficulty of the structure, and the
expected ground conditions.  The engineering properties of the rock are controlled by the
discontinuities within the rock mass and the properties of the intact rock. Therefore, engineering
properties for rock must account for the properties of the intact rock and the properties of the rock
mass as a whole, specifically considering the discontinuities within the rock mass. A combination of
laboratory testing of small samples, empirical analysis, and field observations should be employed to
determine the requisite engineering properties. Rock properties can be divided into two categories:
intact rock properties and rock mass properties. Intact rock properties are determined from laboratory
tests on small samples typically obtained from coring, outcrops, or exposures along existing cuts.
Common engineering properties typically obtained from laboratory tests include specific gravity,
point load strength, compressive strength, tensile strength, shear strength, modulus, and slake
durability. Rock mass properties are determined by visual examination and description of
discontinuities within the rock mass following the suggested methodology of the International Society
of Rock Mechanics (ISRM 1978), and how these discontinuities will affect the behavior of the rock
mass when subjected to the proposed construction and loading. The methodology and related
considerations provided by Sabatini et al. (2002) should be used to assess the design properties of the
intact rock and the rock mass as a whole. However, the portion of Sabatini et al. (2002) that addresses
the determination of fractured rock mass shear strength parameters (Hoek and Brown 1988) using the
Rock Mechanics Rating (RMR) system is outdated. The original work by Hoek and Brown has been
updated and is described in Hoek et al. (2002). The updated method uses a Geological Strength Index
(GSI) to characterize the rock mass to estimate shear strength parameters, and has been developed
based on a re-examination of hundreds of tunnel and slope stability analyses in which both the 1988
and 2002 criteria were used and compared to field results. The services for the geotechnical
investigation will be provided and implemented with strict adherence to international standards and
guidelines to guarantee and assure the highest level of quality for your project.

Geotechnical Laboratory Testing 

 Index properties tests (moisture content tests, unit weight tests, specific gravity tests,
atterberg limits tests, particle size distribution tests)
 Engineering properties tests (unconfined compression strength tests,
consolidation/oedometer tests, consolidated undrained triaxial compression tests)
 Rock strength properties tests (point load tests, uniaxial compression strength tests)
 Chemical analysis of groundwater
 Final quantity report on laboratory tests

Importance:
Geotechnical Investigation is very important before any structure is built, whether it is your own
dream house, an industrial shade, a multiplex, a shopping mall, a warehouse, a multi-storeyed
building, or even small and big infra projects like a bullet train.

What is small scale mining?

Small scale industries are those industries in which production, manufacturing and providing the
services are executed on a small or micro scale.

In a country like India, the small scale industries play a very important role in generating
employment, improving the financial status of people, development of rural areas and removing
the regional imbalances.

Minor minerals

 Minor minerals are those which are prescribed by Mines and Minerals

(Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (section 3(e)) as being
categorized as ‘minor minerals’. 
 Any mineral which by the notification of the Central Government may
declare to be a minor mineral. 
 The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette,
make rules for regulating the grant of quarry leases, mining leases or
other mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals and for
purposes connected therewith. 
 In addition to those specified under MMDR Act, here are few
minerals that the Central Government has declared as minor
minerals: boulder, shingle, chalcedony pebbles, lime shell, kankar
and limestone, brick-earth, fuller’s earth, bentonite, road metal,
slate, marble, stone used for making household utensils, quartzite
and sandstone, saltpeter and ordinary earth.

Major minerals

 Major minerals are those specified in the Mines and Minerals

(Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. 

 Some of the major minerals include Lignite, Uranium, Coal, Gold, Iron

ore, Lead-Zinc, Magnesium, Tungsten, and Diamond etc. 

LIST OF MAJOR MINERALS:

 Uranium
 Coal
 Gold
 Iron ore
 Lead
 Zinc
 Magnesium
 Tungsten
  Diamond
 Feldspar
 Quartz
 Mica

LIST OF MINOR MINERALS: 

 Barytes
 Bentonite
 Calcite
 Corundum and Sapphire
 Diaspore
 Dolomite
 Dunite & Pyroxinite
 Felspar
 Fireclay
 Fuller’s Earth
 Granite
 Gypsum and Selenite
 Kaolin, Ball Clay, Other Clays and Shale
 Laterite
 Marble
 Mica
 Ochre
 Other Calcareous Materials
 Pyrophyllite
 Quartz & Other Silica Minerals
 Slate, Sandstone & Other Dimension Stones
 Talc, Soapstone and Steatite