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The aim of this study is to evaluate the Late Miocene clay for manufacturing cement and bricks (ordinary and perforated) as an alternative to the recent claysfrom the agricultural land that are used typically for agricultural purposes. The claystone beds of the Injana Formation (middle of Iraq) was studied over 18 exposed sections, and sampled by using the trench sampling method. Two industrial beds were recognized as upper and lower beds. The upper industrial bed has thicknesses varies from 1.0 m to 4.5 m, with an average of about 3.16 m and area covers 576x106 m 2 . The lower claystone bed ranges from 2.0 m to 4.0 m with an average of about 2.7 m, and area 453614x103 m 2 . The clay reserve was defined by a total area 1,029,614x103 m 2 , total volume 3,044,917,800 m 3 , bulk density 1.68 gm/cm 3 , and average of compressive strength 154 Kg/cm². The total volume of overburden and inner burden is 1364676 x10 3 m 3 with stripping ratio of the overburden 0.3. The clay reserve was classified as a C1 class based on the Russian system, with an estimation of 5,663,547,108 tons based on GIS method and 5,694,522,037 tons calculated by triangles method.

This study aims to suggest an alternative to the use of quality agricultural soil in the brick industry (Iraq). The Late Miocene claystone bed in the Injana Formation in central Iraq was targeted through the study of 18 exposed sections that were sampled by using the trench sampling method. The claystones are characterized by quartz (36.4%) followed by calcite (32.8%), quartz (36.4%) feldspar (2.6%), gypsum (1.3%) and dolomite (0.7%), kaolinite (10.5%), illite (7.7%), chlorite (6.7%), palygorskite (6.0%) and montmorillonite (0.7%). New thermal mineral phases were formed at 950°C, including diopside (62.9%), quartz (18.4%), wollastonite (8.28%), akermanite (7.6%), Anorthite (6.25%), Nosean (4.9%), gehlenite (3.75%) and Lazurite (3.15%). The raw material's engineering tests showed that the Atterberg index for the plasticity varies from low to high, low volumetric and linear shrinkage during drying and firing with a temperature at 950°C. The raw material produced bricks with 155 kg/cm2 uniaxial compressive strength, 23.2% water absorption, and zero to low efflorescence. The results show the potential use of the Late Miocene clays of the Injana Formation to replace the existing agricultural grade muds presently being manufactured within the A and B category based on the Iraqi standard specification No.25 in 1993.

This study aims to use claystone beds exposed in the Injana Formation (Late Miocene) at Karbala-Najaf plateau, middle of Iraq for the manufacturing of perforated and ordinary bricks. The claystone samples were assessed as an alternative material of the recent sediments, which are preferred to remain as agricultural land. The claystones are sandy mud composing of 29.1 - 39.1% clay, 37.2 - 54.8% silt and 14.1-26.8% sand. They consist of kaolinite, illite, chlorite, palygorskite, and montmorillonite with a lot of quartz, calcite, dolomite, gypsum and feldspar. Claystone samples were characterized by linear shrinkage 0.01 - 0.1%, volume shrinkage 0.1 - 0.9%, bulk density 1.2 - 2.11gm/cm3 (1.68 g / cm3 average), and the efflorescence is varied from low to nil. The claystones are accordingly considered as a suitable material for the manufacture of perforated and ordinary bricks in grades A and B based on Iraqi Standard specifications No. 25 (ISS, 1993).