REPORT ON MALEKHU

TOUR
An educational Tour

CIVIL 2ND YEAR E-F(2074)

WESTERN REGIONAL CAMPUS
Submitted by: Submitted to:
074-BCE-EF Department of Civil Engineering
Roll-(122-132) Paschimanchal Campus
Lamachaur-16, Pokhara
Abstract
The report is prepared after the conduction a field visit under the department of Civil
Engineering (Western Regional Campus) according to curriculum of Engineering Gelogy-1
on Feb 20-21,2019. In the field visit , we studied, observed, analysed and identified different
types of rocks on the basis of geology and structures.
The field visit was conducted in Malekhu. Malekhu is a small town situated halfway
between Kathmandu and Narayangadh. It is situated in the bank of Trishuli river It is famous
for various types of fish species and its product. Malekhu is widely popular for adventurous
sports such as rafting, trekking, kayaking and so on. It is one of the most exciting and
dangerous rafting sites of the world. It is situated near by the famous Manakamna Temple
which is at the distance of 30 km from the town. It is also famous for hiking. The main
attraction of Malekhu also includes the geological researches and geological minerals present
there. International as well as national Geology students get to there for geological studies,
the availability of different minerals is also gathered in small area in there. The larger portion
of the population consists mostly of Tripathis, Silwals and Kadels
The report includes all studies data , relevant photographs , theories and discussion pf
geology of the site

Acknowledgement
 At every step, an engineer has to encounter earth, as a material or as a construction
site. So it proves the importance of geology to Civil Engineering Professionals. S/he must go
through the inner core of engineering geology for his/her perfection and for professionalism.
The trip was really fruitful to us and certainly we got a lot of knowledge about the rocks and
its structures. Knowledge of geology is a most for civil engineer, without knowledge of it
various engineering works like tunnelling, road constructio, dam etc is impossible. This
report is prepared by the students of Pachimanchal campus, with a view to provide all the
detailing of the tour.
We would like to thank Mr. Bikram Pandey sir for sharing his ideas, knowledge and
gratitude with us and to help us in filed and giving complete suggestions. We are so grateful
to have him in the field. We would like to thank to our Civil department for providing b
service and also thank to driver Uncle for taking us safely to the spot. At last, we would like
to thank all our friends of other groups who cooperate kindly in team work.

Table of Content
1. Introduction
1.1 Introduction of field work
1.2 Objective of the study
1.3 Location of study area
1.4 Methodology
1.5 Limitations

2. Itinerary
3. Measurement of altitude of planar structures of rock
3.1 Types of geological compass
3.2 Instruments used during geographical study of malekhu
3.3 Identification of rocks
4. Readings of geological compass
5. Different types of rock which were studied
6.Geological structures
6.1 Phenomenon of formation
6.2 Identification
6.3 Engineering significance
7. Conclusion

1 Introduction
In February 2019 the preparations had begun for the educational tour to Malekhu. Forty five
students from the department of Civil Engineering at the Paschimanchal Campus , Tribhuwan
University had gone for the tour and were joined by Geology Lecturer Bikram Pandey. The
two day trip took place in February, 2019 and proved to be a great success due to the
enthusiastic input from the students and our lecturer, and the continuing support from the
department of civil Engineering .The purpose of educational tour was to provide students
with practical and theoretical experience of geology which is taught in third semester. The
trip also provided an opportunity to learn and visualize the rocks and their orientation.
The curiosity gave birth the geology; the science of earth. It is an applied science, which
deals with hills and mountains, valleys and gorges and along lonely forests an rugged terrain.
In geological fieldwork examination of the outcrops of rock, bodies upon the earth surface
are carefully studied in details and reasonable intervene on the geological structure and
history of the region are drawn. With good approach to the geology and reasonable common
sense of logical interpretation, one can form a neat picture of the geology of the region..
The two days tour from we were taken to malekhu for geological study. First day ,we were
taught to handle to measure dip and strike and we got ideas about river morphology,
identification of rock and different geological units of lesser .
Reports were prepared by:
Subash Guptaz Sudip Aryal
Sugam Mahat Subodh Mishra
Shrawan Lamsal Subash BAral
Shiv Narayan Yadav Subin Rimal
Subodh Sapkota Shishir Acharya
 1.1) Introduction of filed work

According to the syllabus of IOE, geological tour has been included. Being rich is
geographical structures like rocks, stones Malekhu was our first choice. Verities of rocks and
stones are found on Malekhu. Tis has been first choice for geographers, engineers not only
form national also from international.
This field work was done in the Malekhu area for the partial fulfilment of BE civil
Engineering degree under Tribhuwan University
The study team of students were accompanied and guided by our respected Geology lecturer.

1.2) Objectives of the study

 To measure strike of the bedding plane

 To measure the dip direction and dip amount of the bedding planes and joints
 To identify the rock types and its property
 To be clear about joints, faults and folds
 To know se the geological compass
 To study varieties of rocks and their properties
 1.4) Location of study area

Malekhu is a small town situated halfway between Kathmandu and Narayangadh. It is

situated in the bank of Trishuli River. It is famous for various types of fish species and its
product. Malekhu is widely popular for adventurous sports such as rafting, trekking, kayaking
and so on. It is one of the most exciting and dangerous rafting sites of the world. It is situated
near by the famous Manakamana Temple which is at the distance of 30 km from the town. It
is also famous for hiking. The main attraction of Malekhu also includes the geological
researches and geological minerals present there. International as well as national Geology
students get to there for geological studies, the availability of different minerals is also
gathered in small area in there. The larger portion of the population consists mostly of
Tripathis, Silwals and Kadels.[

1.5) Methodology

The geological field study was carried out in the following ways :

 field reconnaissance and geological traverse of the study site

 sketch of the filed topography and rocks

 Photographs of the field topography and rocks

 description of the filed topography and rocks

he study team of students were accompanied and guided our respected teachers during filed study. The rock

samples were observed, the altitude parameters of bedding planes were obtained by use of brunton compass.

The idea was noted and photographs of important spots were taken and rock types (igneous, sedimentary

and metamorphic) were obtained.

1.1) Limitations

Malekhu was the best possible spot for this geological study while the time allocated was not enough for

detail study. The study could have been more effective if more insruments were available and various tets

were performed. Similarly, oxbow lake which was to be part of tour was covered to agriculytural kand by

people
 2.) Itinerary

Date Detail
Friday Feb 20th (8:00 AM) Depart Calgary
Friday Feb 20th (2:00 PM) Arrival in Malekhu
Friday Feb 20th (2:00-5:00 PM) Study of rocks
Friday Feb 20th (5:00 PM) Stayed in Hotel
Saturday Feb 21st (9:00 AM) Departure from Malekhu
Saturday Feb 21st ( 3:00 PM) Arrival in Gorkha
Saturday Feb 21st (12:00-3:00 pm) Study of Gorkha Museum and Palace
Saturday Feb 21st (3:00 PM) Departure from Gorkha
Saturday Feb 21st (7:00 PM) Arrival in College

The itinerary provided a good mix of education and free time. This allowed the entire
group to learn a lot about the rocks. The two days was an ideal length of time for this
due to various activities involved.

3.Measurement of Attitude and Planar features of Rock

2.1 types of compass

A) Clinometers Compass: A compass clinometer is a must have tool for anyone working in
the field of earth science or geological surveying, mapping or for navigational use. The
compass performs basic tasks such as orientation, while the inbuilt clinometers allow
geologists to measure the dip of rock beds or the height of geological and geographical
features as well as angles. We can supply well-known brands such as those manufactured by
Suunto and Silva as well as the world-renowned instruments made by Brunton.

b) Brunton compass : A Brunton compass, properly known as the Brunton Pocket Transit, is
a precision compass made by Brunton, Inc. of Riverton, Wyoming. The instrument was
patented in 1894 by a Canadian-born geologist named David W. Brunton. Unlike most
modern compasses, the Brunton Pocket Transit utilizes magnetic induction damping rather
than fluid to damp needle oscillation.

c) Clar compass : It can read both inclination and bearing at once. Relatively easier to
handle

d) Digital Compass : Displays digits as reading . Easy to handle

e) Digital pc compass : The compass directly connected to the computer. Do not need
booking.

3.2 Instruments used during geological study

Brunton compasses have three main parts, box, sighting arm, and lid. The box contains most
of the components: the needle; bull's eye level (round level to read horizontal angles);
clinometer level (barrel-shaped) and clinometer scale (for reading vertical angles); damping
mechanism (to more efficiently stabilizing the needle); lift pin (to lock the needle); side brass
screw and index pin (to set and display the declination); graduated circle or card (to read the
bearing). The needle has two ends: the north-seeking end (commonly white in genuine
Brunton compasses, labeled 'N' in others), and the black, south-seeking end. The north-
seeking end of the needle is pulled down in the northern hemisphere where the magnetic
inclination is downward. An additional small weight attached to the south-seeking end of the
needle provides proper balancing of the needle. The weight needs to be reversed if using the
compass in the southern hemisphere where the magnetic inclination is upward.

The lid, attached to the box with a hinge, contains the mirror with the axial line and oval
sighting window (for waist- and eye-level sighting), and the sight. The long sighting arm,
attached to the box with a hinge, has a long, oval rectangular cutout or slot (for reading linear
objects), and a tiltable sighting tip, which is used for aligning the line of sight. The circle card
of the Brunton compass is designed in two traditional scales. The azimuth scale uses three
digits, with north at 000o or 360o, and south at 180o. The quadrant scale uses an
alphanumeric notation (e.g., N60oE, S20oW) with the card graduated in four 90o quadrants
(NE, SE, SW, NW); north and south lie at the two upper and lower 0o marks, respectively.

The direction of a line on the ground is given by the bearing of the line, which is the
horizontal angle between the line and a reference, commonly north in the quadrant scale, or
000o (marked as 0o on the card) in the azimuth scale. The reference, however, can also be the
south (S) in the quadrant scale, when reading the bearing (i.e., trend) of south-trending linear
objects. The position of 'E' and 'W' are reversed on the circular card; 'E' lies left of the 0o
mark (i.e., at 9 o'clock), and 'W' is to the right of the 0o (i.e., 3 o'clock) mark on the card. The
reversal is designed to make the correct reading of the bearing possible. To appreciate this
fact, notice that the north-seeking end of the needle always stays pointing north even when
the compass dial is rotated. For example, to read a bearing of 045o, we level the dial and then
turn right of north, but the north-seeking end of the needle turns to the left of 0o, which is
actually east on the dial; so we read a correct bearing.
 2.4) Identification of rocks

a) Sedimentary rocks:
The rocks which are formed from the pre-existing rocks by collection, Compaction and consolidation
under the influence of mechanical , chemical or organic activities of the denuding agents.The
products of wear and tear of the rocks due to natural agencies like blowing of wing , runnnning water
and perlocating underground water etc. when subjected under favourable conditions to
sedimentation and subsequent compaction results in the formation of rocks masses due to pressure
and temperature conditions which are known as the sedimentary rocks. Most common examples are
sandstone, lime stone , shale etc.
 b) Metamorphic rocks
Metamorphic rocks started out as some other type of rock, but have been substantially
changed from their original igneous, sedimentary, or earlier metamorphic form. Metamorphic
rocks form when rocks are subjected to high heat, high pressure, hot mineral-rich fluids or,
more commonly, some combination of these factors. Conditions like these are found deep
within the Earth or where tectonic plates meet. The process of metamorphism does not melt
the rocks, but instead transforms them into denser, more compact rocks. New minerals are
created either by rearrangement of mineral components or by reactions with fluids that enter
the rocks. Pressure or temperature can even change previously metamorphosed rocks into
new types. Metamorphic rocks are often squished, smeared out, and folded. Despite these
uncomfortable conditions, metamorphic rocks do not get hot enough to melt, or they would
become igneous rocks.
 c) Igneous rocks
Igneous rocks (from the Greek word for fire) form from when hot, molten rock crystallizes
and solidifies. The melt originates deep within the Earth near active plate boundaries or hot
spots, then rises toward the surface. Igneous rocks are divided into two groups, intrusive or
extrusive, depending upon where the molten rock solidifies. Some of the magma may feed
volcanoes on the Earth's surface, but most remains trapped below, where it cools very slowly
over many thousands or millions of years until it solidifies. Slow cooling means the
individual mineral grains have a very long

.
 Geological Traverse along Malekhu river

Location A1
Dip angle N84°E
Strike Angle S77°W
Colour
length 6.20 m

Location A2
Dip angle N83°E
Strike Angle 90°E
Colour black
Length 4.80 m

Location A3
Dip angle S80°W
Strike Angle N88°E
Colour brown
Length 1.3 m

Location A4
Dip angle S12°W
 Strike Angle N78°E
Colour yellowish
Length 1.80 m

Location A5
Dip angle N25°E
Strike Angle N55°E
Colour brown
Length o.60 m
Different types of rockes which were studied

Congolomerate

Type of rock Clastic sedimentary rock

Composition Quartize, limestone,, granite basalt,
Formation Conglomerate forms where
sediments of rounded clasts at
least two millimeters in diameter
accumulate
Engineering Use Not a very useful rock, but poorly-cemented
types may be crushed to make aggregate
for concrete manufacture

Sandstone
Type of rock Sedimentary rocks
Composition Quartz, feldspar
Formation Sandstone is made of sand
grains (0.05mm to 2mm) that
 may have been deposited in the
sea, by rivers, or in deserts, and
later cemented together by
minerals precipitated from
groundwater.
Engineering use Building sand, Paving, construction
making , Glass making

Limestone

Type of rock Sedimentary rock

Composition Quartz, pyrite,feldspar
Formation Limestones are made up largely of calcite
(calcium carbonate) as their main mineral.
Limestones fizz when a drop of dilute
hydrochloric acid is placed on them
Engineering use Building and monumental stone,
road building , cement and concrete

\
Gniess

Type of rock Metamorphic

Composition Biotite, cordierite,garnet
Formation Gneiss usually forms by regional
metamorphism at convergent
plate boundaries. It is a high-
grade metamorphic rock in which
mineral grains recrystallized
under intense heat and pressure
Engineering use Building materual , flooring ,
ornamental etc.

Granite

Type of rock Igneous rocks

Composition Quartz , feldspar
Formation
Engineering use dimension stone, uildings,
 bridges, paving, monuments

Pictures clicked during the tour

 6) Geological Structures

Geologic structures such as faults and folds are the architecture of the earth's crust.
Geologic structures influence the shape of the landscape, determine the degree of landslide
hazard, bring old rocks to the surface, bury young rocks, trap petroleum and natural gas, shift
during earthquakes, and channel fluids that create economic deposits of metals such as gold
and silver. Folds, faults, and other geologic structures accommodate large forces such as the
stress of tectonic plates jostling against each other, and smaller forces such as the stress of
gravity pulling on a steep mountainside. An understanding of the structures that shape the
earth's crust can help you see when and where the crust was subjected to pushing or pulling,
terrane accretion or crustal rifting.

6.1) Phenomenon of geological structures

Phenomenon of structures may be convinently subdivided into two groups:

 Brittle structures : Recording the brittle-elastic failure of rocks in the past faults.
Faults and joints fall in this broad category.
  Ductile structures: preserving the permanent viscoplastic deformation of rock
throughout geologic time. Folds and metamorphic foliations are the expression f this
type of structure.

1) Primary sedimentary structures

They are produced at the time as the sedimentary rock in which the occurReferred to
as directional structures because they can be used to infer the orientation that are
consistenty related to the direction current movement.Examples: bedding or
stratifications , graded bedding, crss bedding ,etc.

2) Secondary structures

They are produced shortly after deposition and are result of deformation during or
shortly after sedimentation.They may be continuous (eg. Lineation ,folds,etc.) or
discontinuous (eg. Faults, joints,etc.)

6.2) Identification of geological structures in the filed

 Identification of faults

I) Direct evidences

 Abrupt termination of geological structure

 Strata out of stratigraphic sequence

 Fault breccia and gouge

 Slickensides

 Drag

 Feather joints

 2)Indirect evidences

 Repitition and ommission and strata represents the presence of fault

 Sudden topographic variartion

 Identification of folds

 Folds can be identified by repeating beds

 Repetition normally exists in cyclic order

 Sometimes , bedding of rock strata can be directly observed in mountain cliff, deep
cutting, etc.

 Plunnging folds as a rule, give rise to curved outcrops, the apex of which is called as
closure
 6.3) Engineering significance of geological structures

 Engineering significance of folds

Folds are the highly strained zoned and can bring bulging, causing problems during
tunnelling, excavation works,etc.For dam sites, beds dipping in upstream direction are more
competent with minimum leakage problems than the one dipping downstream.
  Engineering significance of fault

Sites with faults are the most unfavourable for constructionof civil engineering
structures.Faults reduce the resistance /competence of rocks and cause collapse of structures
in an instant and hence are unfitas foundation sites. Faults can pose leakage problems in
reservoirs , groundwater , problems in tunnels.

 Engineering significance of joints

Joints are weak planes in rocks like fault and bedding planes; less harmful than faults as there
is no risk of relative displacement of the ground.They can be treated as simple rocks and no
special expensive safety measures are needed.As in faulting, same dipping of the join planes
and surface slope can cause landslides and slope failures.

7) CONCLUSION

At last we had concluded the malekhu tour report and its surrounding is the answer for
geological curiosity. Actually, the Malekhu is small in area but is has large amount or
numbers of the geological phenomenon and hence it can provide a lot if knowledge to the
geologist and engineering student. It is rich in its natural beauty. The minimum knowledge
required for engineers in geology filed is fulfilled in this trip. Along the malekhu river , we
found sedimentary rocks and gradually metamorphosed conglomerate. Every major bed was
dipped in north direction . This proved that the tectonic movement along the way from south
to north.Handling the compass and to measure the attitude of rock outcrop is now easy to us
and every members of our group successfully can handle it.Finally we would like to thanks to
our teacher and driver uncle to take to such precious place where we get chance to study
various rocks.

It was a great time in Malekhu, along with learning we also had lot of new experience which
we never had. Thanks a lot to civil department our sir for making such tour possible. We had
a quality time there, we learn to use Crompton compass measure drift srike which is a
important part of our engineering career
Thank you From 074- Civil- EF= 122-132 family