SANDSTONE OF JODHPUR(RAJASTHAN ), INDIA.

PREPARED BY RAKESH GOSWAMI,JODHPUR.

Umed Bhawan Palace Jodhpur (Raj.)

INTRODUCTION

Jodhpur is an important city of Rajasthan and second largest after Jaipur. It is considered to be the gate way of ‘Thar desert’ . It is also an important tourist centre with rich heritage and rich cultural tradition . In literature this town is described as ‘Suncity’.

Sandstone has become synonymous with perfect architecture, unmatched beauty and durability. As a building stone it has been known for centuries.

India is known as richest country in deposits of stones in world market.  Jodhpur sandstone is also best of the quality among the available sandstones in the international stone market. It is fine grained, equigranular, hard, compact sedimentary rock.  Jodhpur sandstone formation is oldest nomenclature in Western Rajasthan. It is a part of the Trans Aravalli Vindhyans. Western Rajasthan is fortunate to possess large deposits of sandstone found in Jodhpur, Nagour, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer districts. Sandstone of various colours, textures and patterns are found and exploited. Large scale mining of sandstone in the form of dimensional as well as masonary stone are well known in Jodhpur district . Jodhpur town and its environment is ambient with monuments, palaces, residential buildings, temples etc. One can not move around without appreciating the excellence of these structures made up of Jodhpur sand stone.

One of the world’s finest sandstone locally known as ‘Chhittar’ is available in whitish pink colour. it is extensively quarried near Fidusar, Sursagar, Balsamand, Barli, Keru, Kali Beri, Bhuri Beri, Sodon ki Dhani etc. The common colours of sandstone are pink, beige, red, brown etc.

Jodhpur sandstone is resistant to acid, alkalies, salinity and thermal variance and is therefore also suitable for buildings near seashore. It is commonly used as roofing material but it is a beautiful stone for pillars, arches, wall facings and other exteriors. Its masonry use in the form of khandas is also extensive. Workable sandstone deposits are found over about 150 sq. kms. area around Jodhpur and there are 25 identified boundaries of sandstone comprising 11,305 delineated quarry licenses.

GEOLOGICAL SETUP

Jodhpur sand stone directly rest un-conformably over a rugged basement of Malani rhyolites and granites. It is considered to represent the basal sequence of a thick package of siliciclastic, carbonate and evaporite facies, the Marwar super group. Sandstone in western Rajasthan is scattered over an area of above 6,000 sq. kms. associated with Nagour and Jodhpur groups of Marwar super group. Formations are horizontally disposed and sandstone is found in beige, pink, red, brown etc. colours with varied textures. Sandstone of Jodhpur and Nagaur districts is confined to following stratigraphic horizons:

Nagour Group Tunklian Sandstone Gritty pebbly red sandstone

Nagour sandstone Brick red sandstone with Clay stone and siltstone

Jodhpur Group Girbhaker Sandstone Coarse gritty micaceous sandstone Sonia Sandstone Creamish (Chittar)

pink, reddish-maroon sandstoneThe north-western portion of the Peninsular India is so constructed geologically with Pre-Cambrian and early Palaeozoiec rocks that it affords a large variety of exquisite building stones in abundant quantities. The State of Rajasthan is fortunate in possessing rock formations from highly metamorphosed Pre-Cambrian rocks down to unmetamorphosed flat lying marine sediments extending over large tracts

NATURE OF SANDSTONE

Commercially Sandstone of Jodhpur- areas can be classified into two broad categories.

1. Dimensional Sandstone with associated masonry Sandstone.2. Masonry Sandstone.

Dimensional Sandstone means roofing stone, which is splittable along bedding planes, as well as Blockable Sandstone, which is sawed and cut into desired sizes & shapes. Such sandstone is found around Jodhpur and Balesar and it is also associated with overburden and interburden of masonry sandstone. Whereas second category of sandstone by virtue of its dull colours, coarse texture and fractured nature can only be used as masonry stone. Majority of dimensional sandstone are associated with Sonia formation whereas masonry type of sandstone are found in Sonia, Girbhakar and Nagaur formation. On the basis of colours and physical features author has identified three broad categories of marketable sandstone namely Chittar (beige) sandstone, red sandstone and brown sandstone.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERS

GRAIN SZE MEDIUM TO FINE GRAINED

COLOUR MAINLY CREAMY PINK, BEIGE, RED, REDDISH BROWN

BEDDING COMMONLY MODERATE TO THINLY BEDDED

THICKNESS OF 10-22 MTRSAND STONES

TYPE OF BUILDING MAINLY DIMENSION STONE AND ROOFING SLABS

MATERIAL PARTITION SLABS, STONE BRICKS

CHEMICAL CHARACTER Analysis

TYPE OF SAND STONE Si O2 Fe2O3 Al2 O3 CaO MgO LOIJODHPUR CHHITAR 96.60 1.20 1.00 0.28 0.20 0.50

PHYSICO MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

TYPE OF SAND STONEJodhpur

Chhittar Red1. Specific Gravity ASTM - C-97 2.40 2.532. WATER ABSORPTION (% WEIGHT) ASTM- C-97 2.21 1.673. MODULUS OF RAPTURE ASTM- C-99

a. DRY - PARALLEL TO RIFT PERPENDICULAR TO RIFT 18.-16 16-13 b WET - -do- 18-16 15-114. COMPRESIVE STRENGTH N/MM2 ASTM-170

A. DRY - PARALLEL TO RIFT PERPENDICULAR TO RIFT 93-72 91-100B. WET - -do- 63-48 63-60

5. ABRASION - AV WEAR MIN. MAX. WEAR IS-1237 2.4-2.7 2.6-2.8

GENESIS OF SANDSTONE- sandstone is a sedimentary rock which is derived from pre-existing sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic rocks. These earlier rocks are broken down by the agents of geological denudation- frost, rain, wind, ice, river or sea action. The material thus provided is in most cases moved from its place of origin and deposited elsewhere, the transport being performed either as solid particles or as solutions. In addition, sedimentary rocks are produced by the accumulation of material of organic origin.

The sedimentary rocks are usually laid down in layers, one on top of the other, which differ to a more or less well-marked degree in composition, grain-size, colour or some other property. Such layers are called beds or strata. The separation-planes between the beds are bedding-planes, and the whole set of beds shows stratification. A group of beds is called a formation.

The consolidation of the original fragmentary material is brought about either by welding or by pressure due to the weight of overlying beds, or by cementation whereby the constituent fragments are cemented together by the deposition between them of a binding material such as calcium carbonate, silica or iron-oxides.

CLASSIFICATION OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS-

Three classes of sedimentary rocks can be made on the basis of origin- (1) mechanically-formed, (2) chemically-formed, (3) organically-formed.

MECHANICALLY-FORMED SEDIMENTARY ROCKS- This class of sedimentary rocks is formed of fragments of preexisting rocks, which have been transported into their new position by mechanical means. As examples of such means may be instanced movement by wind or water or glacier-ice. Three groups of these rocks are distinguished: (a) rudaceous or pebbly, (b) arenaceous or sandy, (c) argillaceous or clayey.

a. Rudaceous or pebbly sedimentary rocks are consolidated gravels of various types. The constituent pebbles are large; if they are angular the rock is called a breccia, if they are rounded, a conglomerate. It must be noted that breccias may be formed in various ways, for instance by the fracture and re-cementing of a rock during faulting.

b. Arenaceous or sandy rocks consist of small grains, mostly of quartz, cemented by a scanty bond of silica, iron oxide, calcium carbonate, clayey material etc. The chief type is sandstone. Grit is an arenaceous rock made up of angular fragments.

c. Argillaceous or clayey rocks consist of the finest fragments worn from older rocks. Examples are: clay, retaining enough moisture to be plastic; mudstone, containing little moisture and so not plastic, but still not fissile; shale, a non-plastic clay-rock splitting along its bedding planes. To this series may here be added slate, which is a rock of clay composition with a well-developed cleavage-slaty cleavage- not often coincident with the original bedding planes. Slate is really a metamorphic rock and its slaty cleavage results from the parallel orientation of flaky minerals formed when a shale has been subjected to considerable pressure.

GEOTECHNICAL AND PETROLOGICAL PROPERTIES.

The processes of welding and cementation generally act together in the hardening and consolidation of a sediment. Thus dust, mud or clay is converted into clay, mudstone, or shale. Sand is changed into sandstone. Pabbles, cobbles, and boulders are cemented together to form conglomerates and Breccias.

A single layer bounded by two bedding planes is a bed or stratum . The thicknesses of beds may vary from many feet down to a fraction of an inch. Very fine ,paper thin beds are known as laminae and are found only in material of clay. silt or very fine sand grade.

The orientation of the constituents in this way brings about fissility, the ability of certain fine grained sedimentary rocks to split easily along the bedding planes . Fissility in coarser rocks may be due to the intercalation of thin layers of clayey or micaceous material, as in many thin bedded sand Stone. (faikes)

Many sandstone contain layers in which flakes of white mica are abundant (micaceous sandstone) the mica may be mixed with silty or calyey material in thin beds or laminae and may cause the rock to split into thin slabs which are coated with the spangles of mica. A sandstone of this character with a calcareous cements, which splits readily along the micaceous layers into slabs suitable for paving,is called flaggy sandstone or flagstones.

A freestone is a uniform thick bedded sandstone with few divisional planes. It can be cut or worked easily in any directions and consequently forms a good building stone . The term freestone is also applied to some limestones of similar characters

USES:

Jodhpur Sandstone can be made available in different sizes like Blocks, Slabs and Tiles etc. in different finishes/surface textures Natural, Sawed, Honed, Polished, Sand blast, Flamed, Bush hammered, Pointed bush hammer, Chiseled and in varied forms – which include Cladding, Paving, Panelling, Flooring, Pathways, Foyers, lounges, Driveways, Porticos, Corridors, City Beautification, F a c a d e s , L a n d s c a p e s , K I t c h e n s, Bathrooms, Beams, pillars, roofing slabs, Monoliths, Crazy paving, Buch works etc. and many other tailor made requirements as per Projects or requirements.

Jodhpur sandstone is not only remembered for their pleasant color i.e. Pink, Brown & Red but also for attractive look, exquisite carving, durability and also peculiar properties such as resistant to Weathering, Corrosion, Acid & alkali resistant, Minimum water absorption, Thermal resistant, Mechanical strength and has excellent bonding with Cement and Lime and therefore its most suitable for flooring, interiors well as exterior Cladding, Particularly for Seashore building  (Due to its acid and thermal resistance and zero effect Saline Winds), Multi storey Complex, Swimming Pools, Temples, Church’s, Mosque’s, Tomb Buildings wide spread houses and buildings and flooring of chemical industries in extreme climatic conditions.

JODHPUR SAND STONE USED IN SOME WORLD CLASS BUILDING STRUCTURE LIKE-

UMED BHAWAN PALACE, JODHPUR (1939) ,MEHRANGARH FORT, JODHPUR (1459) , VIDHANSABHA BHAWAN, JAIPUR MANDORE (9TH AD), KARACHI HARBOUR, PAKISTAN (18TH AD) , PALACE OF SULTAN OF OMAN (U.A.E.) HOTEL MAURYA, DELHI , JODHPUR CITY RAILWAY STATION . AND USED IN OTHER PARTS OF RAJASTHAN, INDIA AND ABROAD

EXPORT FUTURE

USED FOR INTERIOR LIKE PAVING, DRIVEWAYS, SWIMMING POOLS, TERRACE, FOUNTAINS, CARWING IN WINDOWS, LAMP SHADE, HANDICRAFTS, MAINGATE, RAILING, STATUE STAIRCASE TEMPLE DOMES FRONT ELEVATION etc.

CONCLUSION:

Jodhpur sandstone because of its strength, resistance to abrasion and aesthetic looks is one of the excellent sandstones of the world. Though its mining history is five hundred years old, there is still a technological gap in the quarrying of Jodhpur sandstone, which is being exploited in the most conventional manner. It is one of the thrust sandstone areas, which has great scope of development through sincere and joint efforts of the Government and the entrepreneurs. Introduction of modern technology in mining and processing and use of innovative marketing techniques are of crucial importance at this juncture. Some enterprising entrepreneurs have taken initiatives on these lines and have tried to put Jodhpur sandstone on the world map. Government of Rajasthan is equally concerned about the development of sandstone and has actively joined hands with the people of this industry for its sustained growth.

Jodhpur sand stone standardization has became impertive for marketing of sand stone. there is need of presenting our products in national and international market with complete details of stone characterization.

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Vidhansabha Bhawan Rajasthan Jaipur