Source of cement raw material for the construction of Bhasha Dam in Gilgit Diamir District, Pakistan
Keywords:
Limestone; Cement; Abbottabad; Bhasha dam.Abstract
Appreciable amount of limestone deposits ranging from Jurassic to Eocene occurs near the construction site of the Bhasha Dam, District Abbottabad. The current investigation utilizes techniques like, petrography, geochemistry and geotechnical tests on the Samana Suk Formation, Kawagarh Formation, Lockhart Limestone and Margalla Hill Limestone of Abbottabad area to check their feasibility as construction material for Bhasha Dam. Mineralogically, the studied limestones have high calcite content with minor quartz. Microstylolites with insoluble residue are present in some samples while sparry calcite-filled hairline fractures are common. Generally, the CaO content of the limestone is high in most of the studied limestone except some samples from Lockhart Limestone and Margalla Hill Limestone. Most of the studied limestone samples have permissible amounts of SiO2 for its use for various purposes and though some of the samples have higher values of silica, but they cannot be regarded as argillaceous limestones. Al2O3 and Fe2O3 are also within the permissible limits for use in various industries. Na2O and K2O are found only in traces as per the pure stone chemistry. The MgO contents are predominantly low except in certain samples of the Samana Suk Limestone where certain horizons are more dolomitized with high MgO. This studied limestone varies from minor to considerable degree of secondary dolomitization, however, no other deleterious constituents are present. The studied limestone samples from different Formations of district Abbottabad fulfill the specifications for their use in cement industry and in aggregate. The Samana Suk and Kawagarh formations are the nearest source for the cement manufacturing plant to cater for Bhasha Dam construction.
References
Bilqees, R., Khan, T., Pirzada, N., Abbas, S.M., 2012. Industrial applications of Abbottabad limestone: Utilizing its chemical and engineering properties. Journal of Himalayan Earth Sciences, 45 (1), 91-96.
Blyth, F.G.H., Freitas, M.H., 1974. Geology for engineers. Edward Arnold publishers, London.
Coward, M.P., Butler, R.W.H., 1985. Thrust tectonics and the deep structure of the Pakistan Himalaya, Geology, 13, 417-420.
Derucher, K.N., Heins, C.P., 1981. Material for civil and highway engineers. Prentice-Hall Incorporation, New Jersey. Dunham, R.J., 1962. Classification of carbonate rocks according to depositional texture. In: Ham, W.E. (Eds.), Classification of Carbonate Rocks, Memoirs of American Association of Petrologists, 1, 108-12I.
Gansser, A., 1964. Geology of the Himalayas. Wiley interscience, New York.
Gohar, A., 1999. Concrete feasibility for the limestone of the Kohat Formation, Kohat. Unpublished MPhil thesis, University of Peshawar, 89.
Harrison, D.J., 1993. Industrial minerals laboratory manual: Limestone. British Geological Survey, Technical Report, WG/92/29.
Harrison, D.J., Bloodworth, A.J., 1994. Industrial minerals laboratory manual: Construction materials. British Geological Survey, Technical Report, WG/94/12. Hobbs, D.W., 1988. Alkali-silica reaction in concrete. Thomas Telford, London, 183. John, D.A., Poole, A.B., Sims, I., 1998. Concrete petrography. A handbook of investigative techniques, Arnold, London.
Latif, M.A., 1970. A stratigraphy and micropaleontology of nGalis group of Hazara, Pakistan. Geological Bulletin of Punjab University, 13, 1-64.
Latif, M.A., 1970. Explanatory notes on the geology of southeastern Hazara, to accompany the revised Geological Map. Wein Jahrbuch Geological. Bundasant, Sonderb, Austria, 15, 5-19.
Neville, A.M., Brooks, J.J., 1987. Concrete Technology. Longman Scientific and Technical, New York.
Oates, J.A.H., 1998. Lime and Limestone: Chemistry and Technology, Production and Uses. WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, Germany.
Shah, S.M.I., 1977. Stratigraphy of Pakistan. Memoirs of Geological Survey of Pakistan.
Yeats, R.S., Lawrence, R.D., 1984. Tectonics of the Himalayan thrust belt in Northern Pakistan. In: Haq, B.U., Millirnan, J.D. (Eds.), Marine geology and oceanography of Arabian Sea and coastal Pakistan. Van Nostrad Rcinhold Company, New York, 177-198.
