Department of

Civil Engineering

H24GGY Geology for Civil Engineers

Lecture 3: Rocks
Formation, types and characteristics
Prof Stuart Marsh
Professor of Geospatial Engineering

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Civil Engineering

3rd Rock from the Sun

Formed from the solar nebula 4600 Million Years Ago

All rocks that we have today came from this material

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From Rock to Earth

An active planet
- Geology is dynamic

- Rock is constantly
being recycled...
created, changed

and destroyed by
geologic processes

- Geologic timescales
much greater than
human lifetimes, so

make it seem static

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Differentiation of Crust,
Atmosphere & Oceans

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Earliest Crustal Rock

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Elements and Minerals

geocaching.com

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The Geological Cycle

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Igneous Rocks

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Classification

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Granite
- Feldspar, Quartz
- Coarse, crystalline

- Massive, uniform
structure: strong

- Weathers to clays
and quartz sands
- Lack of internal
structure leads to
distinctive Tors

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Basalt
- 50% Feldspar, mica
and Fe-Mg silicates
- Fine, interlocking
crystals, some voids
- Strength depends on
associated deposits
- Iron content rusts;

weathers to clays
- Structures (columns,
pillows) from cooling

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Sedimentary Rocks

Finer sediments transported further

The process of laying down sediments results in structures such as

bedding, channel infill, grading of grain size and dune formation
Lithification occurs on burial via increased temperature and pressure
by three processes: cementation, re-crystallisation and compaction

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Classification

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Sandstone
- Desert, river, marine
- Quartz grains in a
quartz/clay/calcite

cement, pore space

- Medium grained
- Strength depends on
cementation strength

- Crumbles to sand
- Deposition structures
preserved like beds

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Clay Rocks
- Lakes and marine
- Structure-less mass
of clay minerals like

illite + quartz grains

- Fine grained
- Strength depends on
lithification (older are
strong), weathering
- Reverts to mud
- Mostly structure-less

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- Lakes and marine

- 95% calcite, some
clay, dolomite, flint
- Variable grain size,
often with shells etc.
- Strength depends on
lithification (older are
strong) and structure
- Soluble in rainwater
- Massive or bedded

Limestone

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- Lakes and marine

- Halite, gypsum
- Crystaline, fine or
coarse depending on

mode of deposition
- Often weak, subject

to water dissolution
by rain, groundwater
- Can be massive or
bedded

Evaporites

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Metamorphic Rocks
Heating by igneous rock leads
to thermal metamorphism;
high pressure during tectonics
to dynamic metamorphism;
high temperature and pressure
to regional metamorphism

Metamorphism happens through

re-crystalisation (e.g. in Marble),
growth of new minerals from old
(e.g. in schist clay becomes mica)
and by the development of fabric
through the alignment of minerals

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Classification

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Hornfels
- Thermal metamorphic

- Quartzite, if created
from sandstone, but
marble if limestone
- Crystaline, fine grain
- Generally very strong,
hence often used as
building stone

- Very slow weathering

to clays

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Schist
- Regional/dynamic
metamorphic
- Coarse grained mica,

chlorite, and quartz

- Alignment of mica is
cause of schistosity
- Generally very weak,
also anisotropic due

to schistosity; shears
- Slow alteration to clay

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Further Reading

Foundations of Engineering Geology

A C Waltham
Chapter 1: Geology and Civil Engineering

Chapter 2: Igneous Rocks

Chapter 3: Surface Processes
Chapter 4: Sedimentary Rocks

Chapter 5: Metamorphic Rocks