Physical weathering caused by external forces and chemical weathering caused by the decomposition or alteration of constituent materials are the two factors that dominate the mechanical properties of rocks. In this study, a field investigation was und...
Physical weathering caused by external forces and chemical weathering caused by the decomposition or alteration of constituent materials are the two factors that dominate the mechanical properties of rocks. In this study, a field investigation was undertaken to identify the physical and chemical weathering characteristics of the biotite granite and granitic weathered soils in Gyeongju, South Korea. Samples were collected according to their grade of weathering and subjected to modal analysis, XRD analysis, XRF analysis, physical property tests, particle size distribution tests, and slake durability tests. Modal and XRD analysis identified these rocks as biotite granite; secondary alteration minerals were not observed. Physical property tests and particle size distribution analyses indicate an average porosity of 41.28% and a sand content of > 90 wt.%. These values are somewhat higher than those of granites in general. The results of the slake durability test and XRF analyses show that the physical and chemical weathering indices of the samples vary with the degree of weathering.