Rock Durability and Abrasion Characteristics: A Case Study of the Nawakot Group in Bagmati Province
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64862/Keywords:
Slake durability index, Los Angeles abrasion, Engineering propertiesAbstract
Rock durability and abrasion resistance are critical parameters influencing the suitability of materials for engineering and construction applications. This study examines the correlation between the slake durability index (Id₂) and Los Angeles Abrasion (LAA) loss for quartzite and gneiss samples collected from the Lesser Himalaya of Central Nepal, within 3–4 km of the Main Central Thrust (MCT) zone. Ten oriented, unweathered samples were tested following ASTM D4644 and ASTM C131 standards. The LAA values ranged from 24.75–31.63 for quartzite and 42.3–51.7 for gneiss, while the corresponding Id₂ values ranged from 97.33–98.64 and 95.38–97.24, respectively. Regression analysis yielded empirical relationship: Id₂ = 102.78 − 0.16 × LAA (R² = 0.85) for quartzite and Id₂ = 103.89 − 0.16 × LAA (R² = 0.56) for gneiss. The results indicate a strong inverse relationship between durability and abrasion loss, providing a practical framework for estimating rock quality in engineering design and material selection.
References
ASTM C131. (2014). Standard test method for resistance to degradation of small-size coarse aggregate by abrasion and impact in the Los Angeles machine. ASTM International.
ASTM D4644. (2021). Standard test method for slake durability of shales and other similar weak rocks. ASTM International.
Bowles, J. E. (1997). Engineering properties of soils and their measurement. McGraw-Hill.
Franklin, J. A., & Chandra, R. (1972). The slake-durability test. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 9 (3), 325–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(72)90001-0
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nepal Society of Engineering Geology (NSEG)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
