Study of Geotechnical Properties of Clays in the Laylan Region and their Suitability in the Brick Industry in Northeastern Kirkuk, Northern Iraq

The research dealt with the study and evaluation of geotechnical characteristics, which included tests of the specific gravity, grain-size analysis, and Atterberg Limits, chemical and mineralogical analyses of samples from the Laylan region, northeast of Kirkuk and the possibility of using them as raw materials in the brick industry. The samples have 31.5% clay, 46.25% silt, and 22.25% sand. From this, it turns out that all samples consist mainly of grains the size of clay and silt and small amounts of sand, and thus the deposits of the region are of a nature (Sandy mud ) according to Folk classification. The results of the soil consistency showed that the soil is of a low to medium plasticity type depending on the plasticity scheme within the standard classification of soils and that it can be formed and take suitable plasticity for the brick industry. Chemical analyses revealed that SiO2 and CaO are the clay deposits main components, indicating the high content of quartz and calcium carbonate, The mineralogical analysis by X-ray diffraction techniques indicated that quartz, calcite, feldspar, gypsum, and dolomite are the non clay minerals; Kaolinite, illite, palygorskite and chlorite are the most clay mineral .