Index and Compaction Properties of Laterite Deposits for Road Construction in Minna Area, Nigeria

Abstract

Three laterite deposits located at Kampala, Kpakungu-Labiri and Gwada-Maraba areas of Minna, north-western Nigeria were assessed for their geotechnical characteristics with the aim of determining their suitability for road construction. Two samples were collected twenty-five meters apart from each location and analyzed. The soil was heterogeneous. The liquid limit varied from 32% to 46%, plastic limit ranges from 22.8% to 29.6% while the plasticity index was of the order of 6.9% to 16.4%. The shrinkage potential was generally low. The California Bearing Ratio (C.B.R) had a general rating of poor to excellent. The maximum dry density varied from 1.88g/cm3 to 2.145g/cm3 while the optimum moisture content was of the order of 12% to 16%. Th X-ray Diffraction (XRD) results indicated the presence of illite, kaolinite and montmorillonite in decreasing order of abundance.