A Preliminary Study and Characterization of Nasir Abad Hunza Marble Deposit Gilgit Baltistan

Marble is widely used in construction industry mainly in interior & exterior design of buildings due to its resilient physical, chemical & mechanical properties. The diverse geology of Gilgit Baltistan has naturally endowed this region with different varieties of marble deposits. These marble deposits need proper characterization to ensure their proper use in the construction industry. This research aims to conduct a preliminary study for the characterization of the Nasir Abad Hunza marble deposit. Samples from said deposit were subjected to different tests to study its chemical, physical and mechanical properties. Results of XRF analysis reveal that the deposit under study is dolomitic. The comparison of different physical properties of deposits with standard values confirms its originality. However, high variation in the strength of core samples was observed, which could result from incomplete crystallization by metamorphism. This variation in the strength of samples suggests strength-based definitions of deposit domains to propose the use of each domain separately.