Distinguishing soil from rock in granodiorite of çavuşbaşi area by the use of mechanical methods

SUMMARY Keywords: Weathering; Rock - Soil identification; Mechanical properties; Pore pressure parameters This thesis has been prepared in partial fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Civil Engineering of the Graduate School of Sakarya University. The aim of the research programme was to explain the factors contributing to the classification of rock and soil in the granodiorite of Çavuşbaşı area in vicinity of Beykoz, near Istanbul. The Çavuşbaşı granodiorite which does not exhibit clay products upon weathering has been classified into six weathering groups by petrograpbic and physical property measurements. The boundary of each group was defined by the measurement of pore size and the pore water pressure parameters B and A. The implications of these parameters were checked against several weathering indices. It was then possible to make a new classification based on transformation from rock to soil based solely on numerical values. In conclusion, a definite limit was defined for the transformation of granodiorite from rock to soil. This way, it is intended to develop a criterion to distinguish rock from transition material and soil in igneous rocks.