Geotechnical properties of an attapulgite clay shale in northwestern nigeria

✍ Scribed by Samuel Akinlabi Ola

• Book ID: 103072195
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1982
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 749 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0013-7952
• DOI: 10.1016/0013-7952(82)90002-3

✦ Synopsis

The paper gives a brief review of the geology of the Iullemmeden Basin of northwestern Nigeria and how the stratigraphic sequence produces complex geotechnieal problems. Mineralogical analysis showed the clay shale to be predominantly attapulgite. Detailed geotechnical properties of the clay showed the liquid limit to be greater than 200% and it depended significantly on treatment before testing. Very low maximum dry densities of 1137 kg/m 3 (71 pcf), a high optimum moisture content of 41%, and a high compression index of 0.23 were obtained. The results presented also indicated that the attapulgite has very critical potential volume change. Results of the shear strength characteristics showed the effective cohesion to be zero in all the tests and a loss of strength of about 50% occurred as a result of decrease in the rate of strain.