Influence of Petrogenesis on the Engineering Properties of Ultramafic Aggregates and on Their Suitability in Concrete

This study focuses on the use of petrology as a useful tool in construction applications (i.e., concrete). More specifically, this study investigates how the petrogenetic characteristics of ultramafic rocks derived from ophiolite complexes (Veria–Naousa, Gerania) can act as a key tool for the prediction of the final behaviour of ultramafic aggregates as concrete aggregates. For this reason, their petrographic, chemical and mineralogical characteristics were examined and correlated with their engineering properties for evaluating their suitability as concrete aggregates. This study had come up, for the first time, that the genesis environment of the ultramafic rocks is the determinant factor for their physico-mechanical characteristics. Their suitability is relevant to the impact of their mineralogical and structural characteristics both from the two different ophiolite complexes (Veria–Naousa and Gerania). Except serpentinization, the basic alteration process-index of ultramafic rocks, there are also other chemical indices which can be used for ultramafic rocks that may determine their properties. In this context the term ‘fertility rate’ (FR) was introduced which may characterize ultramafic rocks as fertile or not. Furthermore, the Ultramafic Rock Health Index (U.R.H.I.) as well as the Normalized U.R.H.I. (U.R.H.I._N) was also introduced and correlated with the engineering properties of the investigated aggregate rocks. The last index aims to assess and quantify the overall health conditions, encompassing the two major modifying factors that include removal of primary mineral phases, as well as the extent of serpentinization. The main conclusion of this paper is that the genesis environment of the ultramafic rocks is the critical factor that determines their mineralogical, petrographic and chemical characteristics which consequently determines the basic engineering properties of rocks that determine their suitability or not as concrete aggregates.