Engineering Geological Characteristics of Quartzite Types for Concrete Production in Ghana

Abstract

The production of concrete in Ghana involves the use of several mineral aggregates such as gneisses, granites, granodiorites and quartzites. The use of quartzites for concrete, however, is well patronized especially by private low cost housing builders due to its low cost compared to other alternatives. Quartzites are known to have strength characteristics which are not uniform and as such vary from low to high depending on their metamorphic state.This research provides some Engineering Geological characteristics of quartzite types used for concrete works in parts of Southern Ghana and offers a classification of quartzites for easy field identification by Construction Engineers. The results of strength tests and petrologic examination confirm that there are different types of quartzites with strengths that correlate positively with their level of geologic state. In addition, the most metamorphosed quartzite was found to be resistant to weathering and useful for producing concrete for structural work.

Keywords: Quartzite types, aggregate strength, quartz, concrete