lb
Division of Mines and Mineral Resources - Report 1991/22
Some physical properties of dolerite
by D.J. Sloane
Abstract 20% to 40% of the rock while the magnetite composition
may be 2% to 3% (Leaman, 1973).
Dolerite, an igneous rock, is exposed over half of
Tasmania. The good physical and chemical properties of Numerous quarries occur throughout the State, with
the rock make it suitable fora wide variety of uses. Crushed preferable sites close to contacts where jointing is platy.
rock is used as aggregate in concrete, as road sub-base and Decomposed, usually coarse-grained grarophyric dolerite
in flush seals, as facing stone in building construction, and is used for surfacing unsealed roads.
as armour stone and rip-rap.
INTRODUCTION PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Following a request for information conceming the
The physical and chemical properties of dolerite make it
physical properties of dolerite, a brief attempt was made to
highly suitable for a variety of purposes. It is used mainly
collate such information. Fresh dolerite rock is considered
as crushed aggregate in concrete production, as road
to be very strong and is not greatly affected by weathering.
sub-base and in flush seals, facing stone in building
The uses for this rock are widely accepted and its physical
construction, and as armour stone and rip-rap.
properties are suitable for most purposes. This appears to
account for the difficulty in obtaining test information, a
reason confirmed by some of the information sources The physical properties of dolerite are given below for
contacted. various localities. There is, however, no rock description
for some sites. It can only be assumed that the tests were
Information concerning the strength properties was sought conducted on the best representative samples for each site.
from: Rivers and Water Supply Division; University of The physical properties of dolerite will vary depending OIl
Tasmania; Hydro-Electric Commission; major quarry the grainsize, composition, degree of weathering and
companies; consultant engineers; Division of Mines and physical defects.
Mineral Resources; Concrete Association; and the
Department of Roads and Transport.
GEOLOGY
Dolerite is an igneous rock, that is, rock initially molten
and injected as a fluid into older sedimentary rocks. The • VERMONT
magma, of quartz tholeiite composition, was emplaced as • RELBIA
a liquid which rose upwards through the basement rocks • ftlEIIiIO\N RIYEA 1. fiSHER RIVER
into older sedimentary rocks of the Parmeener Supergroup.
Emplacement probably occurred over an interval of 20
million years, and the average age of the rock is middle \
tIO
Jurassic, approximately 175 Ma (Hergt et al., 1989). \" '?
Approximately half the area of Tasmania is underlain by
Jurassic dolerite. The estimated volume of dolerite is of the
order of 15 000 kIn3 (Hergt et aI., 1989).
Dolerite is composed of two essential and several
accessory minerals. The essential minerals are plagioclase
feldspar and pyroxene, which together constitute between
about 60% and 80% of the total rock composition. The
accessory minerals are quartz, orthoclase, chlorite and
Figure 1. Location of sites of tested materials
magnetite. Quartz, orthoclase and chlorite may comprise
REPORT 1991/22
5cm .,
Leaman (1972) provided a general summary of the Water Absorption
physical properties of dolerite for the Hobart area. The
source of this information is not known but the information Relbia: 0.6%
may be useful as a general guide.
Lindisfame: 0.9%
Density: 2.80-3.10 tlm 3
(average 2.9-2.95 tlm3 ) Lindisfame: 1.09% (37 mm crusher run)
0.56% (20 mm screenings)
Poissons ratio: O.02-D.l (weathered)
O.3-DA (unweathered) Pieman (1978): 0.7% (mean of 20 samples)
0.3-D.6% (range of values -
Youngs modulus: 10-40 GPa (weathered) good quality rock)
90-110 GPa (unweathered)
Pieman (1983): 0.28% (' Hard' rock-
Bulk modulus: 5-30 GPa (weathered)
mean of 9 samples)
90-100 GPa (unweathered)
0.35% ('Soft' rock-
Rigidity modulus: 10-50 GPa (unweathered) mean of 10 samples)
Uniaxial compressive Unconfined Compressive Strength
strength: 40 MPa (unweathered)
Relbia: Core I - 90 MPa
Porosity: Approximately 1% Core 2 - 125 MPa
Mean -lOS MPa
The physical property results from tests obtained at various (50 mm diameter core approximately 200 mm in length)
specific sites (fig. 1) are presented below.
Pieman (1978): 171 MPa (mean of 18 samples)
Density 91-282 MPa (general range for
good quality rock, although one
Apparent Density sample gave 369 MPa)
Lindisfame: 2.91 tlm 3 fdate
?) Pieman (1983): 253 MPa ('Hard' rock - mean
2.905 tim (June 1989) of 9 samples)
2.88 tlm 3 (20 mm screenings) 173 MPa ('Soft' rock - mean
2.73 tlm 3 (37 mm crusher run) of 10 samples)
Bulk Density - Saturated surface dry Fisher: Mean 91 MPa (range of results
3 was 30-155 MPa)
Relbia: 2.89 tlm
3 Schmidt Hardness
Lindisfame: 2.865 tlm
~:~~ ~~~ g~ ~~ ~~~~~~n~~) Pieman (1983): 43-44 for good quality fresh rock
Fisher: 3.01 tlm
3 WetlDry Strength
(figure quoted as 'density',
samples air dried and saturated Lindisfame: Dry strength = 282 kN
prior to testing) Wet strength = 197 kN
Wet/Dry variation = 30%
Bulk Density - Oven Dry
Los Angeles Test Values
3
Relbia: 2.87 tlm
Lindisfame: Los Angeles Test' A' grading
Lindisfame: 2.84 tlm 3 1985 -16.5%
2.83 tlm 3 (20 mm screenings) (37 mm crusher run)
2.65 tlm3 (37 mm crusher run)
Lindisfame: March 1989 - 15.0%
*Pieman (1978): 2.96 tlm 3 (mean of 18 samples) August 1990 - IS .0%
2.95-3.004 tlm 3 (range for good April 1991- 14.5%
quality rock)
3 Pieman (1978): Los Angeles Test 'B' grading
*Pieman (1983): 2.971 tlm ('Hard' rock-
mean of 9 samples)
Sample % loss Quality RQD(%! Weathering
2.935 tlm3 ('Soft' rock-
mean of 10 samples) 1 13.7 Good 95 Fresh
2 9.7 Good 95-100 Fresh
*N.B. Results quoted as 'Dry Density'. ThePieman (1983) 3 14.5 Poor 0-75 Partly weathered
results subdivided samples into 'hard' and 'soft' 4 16.5 Poor 0-50 Partly weathered
categories, depending on the ease of percussion drilling. 5 6.3 Good 100 Fresh
REPORT 1991/22 2
:5/5
Vermont: Los Angeles Test 'B' grading Texture- no orientation, even-grained,
14% (16 mm aggregate) dominant grain size 0.5 mm.
No weathering.
Polished Aggregate Friction Values Vickers hardness - 740
Drillability Index - PNI= 32
Lindisfarne: 52 =
Drilling rate index 31
(RCA Victoria Method 374.01) Friability index (S20') = 31
Leslie Vale: 51 (AS 1141-41/42)
=
PROTO 20 23, s 1.1 =
=
Sievers J value (SJ') 10, s 3.8=
Vermont: 46 (AS1141-41/42) Relbia - Sample 1
(14 mm aggregate)
45 (10 mm aggregate)
Dolerite. Fine grained, ophitic texture.
California Bearing Ratio
Primary minerals - plagioclase, pyroxene, hornblende
Vermont: 220 (37 mm crusher run) and quartz. Acicular and lath-like plagioclase, equant
grains of pyroxene - some alteration to chlorite along
Point Load Strength cleavage and fissures. Secondary minerals (10%) include
chlorite. Quartz content 10%.
Pieman (1978): Is (50) MPa for 20 specimens. Refers to
above samples.
Relbia - Sample 2
Sample Median Mean Standard Weathering
Deviation Dolerite. Fine grained, ophitic texture.
I 15.4 14.5 3.1 Fresh
2 13.4 11.6 5.6 Fresh Primary minerals - plagioclase, pyroxene, amphibole.
3 6.5 7.2 4.5 Partly weathered Plagioclase crystals acicular, pyroxene grains subhedral
4 4.2 4.6 3.1 Partly weathered with chloritised outlines. Secondary minerals (13.5%)
5 17.0 16.6 1.4 Fresh include chlorite and quartz (8.8%).
Pieman (1983): Is (50) MPa for 20 specimens; Pavement Skid Resistance
For 'Hard' rock Mean -18.1 (range 3.4 to 21.6) Information source: Relative Performance of Basalt and
For 'Soft' rock Mean - 10.7 (range 2.6 to 20.7) Dolerite Flush Seals (DRT Report 85/93)
Young's Modulus
Summary
Pieman (1978)
Test programme included a range of seal ages, traffic
Dynamic 93 GPa (mean of 18 samples) densities and curve radii. Skid resistance properties
87-102 GPa (range for good measured using the British Pendulum Tester. Testing
quality rock) generally done during winter months.
Static 96 GPa (mean of 5 samples) Test result trends are shown in Figure 2, where BPN skid
10 1-110 GPa (range for good resistance values vs. total vehicles (from AADI counts and
quality rock) years in service) are shown for curve radii greater than
500 m, between 500 m and 100 m, and less than or equal
Pieman (1983) to 100m. The results showed no positive indication of BPN
values being a function of aggregate size (10-16 mm).
Dynamic 102 GPa ('Hard' rock-
mean of 9 samples)
97 GPa ('Soft' rock- Results summary
mean of 10 samples)
Curve radii> 100 m - Steady decline in BPN value from
Poisson's Ratio initial 60-65.
Pieman 0.22 (mean of 5 samples) Curve radii <lOOm - More rapid decline than above for
0.217-D.240 (range for good the frrst 2.5x106 vehicles, but less than for basalt, followed
quality rock) by steady decline in BPN with continued traffic.
Petrographic Descriptions 6
Lowest BPN value - 45 at 17.5xI0 vehicles for curve
Lindisfame radius less than 100 metres.
Rock species - diabase The results show that dolerites maintained higher levels of
Plagioclase - 63% skid resistance, considered significant in the high traffic
Augite - 37% stress situations.
REPORTl 991 IZ2 3
4J5
70
Curve Radius >SOOm
60
1- - -- -- -- --
50
-- -- - Dolerite
40
30 Basalt
20
o 10 20 30
70
Curve Radius > 100 <500m
60
r--------- --
U
L.U 50 -- --- -- - Dolerite
Z
<t 40
f-
(f)
(f) 30
L.U Basalt
0::
o 20
::.:: o 10 20 30
(f)
z
Cl... 70
ro Curve Radius ~1 OOm
60 I
--- -
50
- ---
----------------------:-:::-:::-::~::~::::--------------
40 - Dolerite
30
Basalt
20
o 10 20 30
TOTAL VEHICLES (X106)
(I - Typical range of B.P.N. values on new, untrafficked surface.)
(From DRT Report 85/93)
Figure 2
Physical properties of dolerite - BPN skid reSistance versus total vehicles
5cm
REPORT 1991/22 4
CONCLUSIONS all results provided a description of the rock tested or the
method of testing. Therefore they are only considered to
The results reported in the body of this report indicate a be indicative of each site and cannot be assumed to apply
range of physical properties for dolerite rock. The results elsewhere. The results provide an overview of physical
were obtained from five locations. Variations in the properties but do not replace specific site testing.
properties of dolerite appear to be largely related to the
degree of weathering and rock defects. Other factors, such REFERENCES
as composition and grainsize, probably play a less
important role in determining rock properties. LEAMAN. D. E. 1972Hobart engineering geology map series.
Department of Mines, Tasmania.
The Pieman (1983) results indicate differences in
properties of good quality 'fresh' rock within the quarry. LEAMAN, D. E. 1973. The engineering properties of
The results are interesting but no petrographic information Tasmanian dolerite. with particular reference to the route of
was reported. The only reported differences were that the the Bell Bay Railway. Tech. Rep. Dep. Mines Tasm.
'soft' rocks had slightly discoloured joints, evident in the 16:148-163.
broken uniaxial and point load specimens. Defects, and
possibly slight weathering, appear to produce the IfERrrr, J. M.; McDoUGAu.. l.; BANKS, M. R.; GREEN, D. H.
1989. Igneous Rocks. Jurassic dolerite, in: BURRETr, C. F.;
difference in properties. MARTIN, E. L. (ed.). Geology and Mineral Resources of
Tasmania. Spec. Puhl. geol. Soc. Aust. 15:375-381.
Comparative testing of basalt and dolerite indicates that
dolerite has better properties for road seals. Dolerite has DEPARTMENf OF ROADS AND TRANSPORT, 1985. Relative
better polished stone values and skid resistance properties. perfonnance of basalt and dolerite flush seals. Rep. Dep.
Roads Transport Tasm. 85/93.
The results are considered to be representative of the
general quality of dolerite currently quarried. However, not [31 October 1991]
REPORT 1991f22 5
