Petrography

Petrography is the detailed study and classification of rocks and minerals. Analysis is undertaken by the macroscopic description of hand specimen size samples, followed by a detailed microscopic examination of a thin section of the material in question.

In Situ Site Investigation offers services ranging from the simple identification and lithological description of an unknown rock sample, through to a detailed petrographic report including qualitative descriptions of features such as composition, mineralogy, microstructure and grain size at various levels of detail.

Clients from the mineral and construction industry typically require:

• Classification of raw material from primary rock quarry producers
• Identification and description of rock material from geological and geotechnical site investigations
• Classification and certification of material from natural aggregate quarry producers
• Quality control of supplied rock and aggregate to secondary construction users
• Identification of unforeseen ‘problem’ material during construction operations, i.e. drilling, piling and tunnelling
• Examination of recycled aggregate and the potential identification of contaminants and other deleterious material

Rock strength testing and detailed chemical testing (via XRF and XRD analysis) can also be provided such that a comprehensive report is compiled.

If you would like more information on our petography services, please contact Rob Cooke: robcooke@insitusi.com