INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GEOTECHNICAL AND PETROGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF MISRI BANDA QUARTZITE, DISTRICT NOWSHERA, KP, PAKISTAN

Abstract

The Misri Banda quartzite (Nowshera) in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Peshawar Basin is where the samples were collected. Its petrographic and geotechnical characteristics were evaluated. The strength and frequency of intra-granular deformation, as well as the matrix and heavy mineral concentrations, varied significantly in quartzite. Quartz and carbonate grains can be seen clearly stacked in some samples. Quartz and other stable detrital minerals make up the bulk of Misri Banda Quartzite. The accessory minerals include zircon, magnetite/ilmenite, hematite, sericite, and feldspar (plagioclase and microcline), whereas the important minerals are quartz, dolomite, and calcite. Visual estimates of the percentages of different minerals (both stable and unstable) were computed from microscopic inspection of 10 thin sections. The quartz's specific gravity was high, and its water absorption values were extremely low, which suggested that it is suitable for use as a construction material, according to the UCS tests, which showed that as the quartz grains increase, so the value of UCS will also increase.