Relationships between texture and mechanical properties of hybrid rocks from the Jaala–Iitti complex, southeastern Finland

The relationships between petrographical and mechanical properties of rock aggregate raw materials from the hybridised, subvolcanic Jaala–Iitti complex, southeastern Finland, were investigated. Petrography was quantified from polished thin sections with a polarising microscope to determine the modal composition and grain size distribution, and resistance to fragmentation and abrasion were determined. Abundance of fine-grained minerals (especially of hornblende), fine grain size-dominated grain size distribution, uniform spatial dispersion of hornblende crystals, and intense micrographic intergrowth texture with interlocking grain boundaries were found to have the greatest positive influence on the mechanical properties. The results showed the potentiality of hybridised rocks as raw materials for high quality aggregates that can resist fragmentation and abrasion.