To evaluate the geotechnical properties of a soil mass, different soil specimens were prepared in the lab by mixing various proportions of quartz, smectite, and illite. Liquid limit, plastic limit, and volume change behavior in terms of compression and swelling indices were measured according to the procedure mentioned in the respective ASTM methods. Those minerals are considered as the most common minerals that are found in expansive soils that include mudstone/clay stone, marl and shale. Such expansive soils are always considered as problematic soils in geotechnical engineering. The results show that plasticity index and liquid limit depend on the proportion of smectite and total clay content. A parabolic relationship could be observed between the liquid limit and proportion of smectite. Smectite is mainly controlling the plasticity characteristics. Likewise, volume change properties also depend on the proportion of smectite and liquid limit. A parabolic relationship was observed between the compression index and proportion of smectite, whereas a linear relationship was observed between the liquid limit and compression index. The results clearly show that we can estimate the coefficient of consolidation, and compression and swelling indices of a soil mass with reasonable accuracy with liquid limit and proportion of dominant clay mineral. This finding has a great significance in the geotechnical engineering because with a small amount of soil that can be collected from a boring core, we will be able to evaluate liquid limit, mineralogical composition, and clay content. Those parameters can be used to estimate the compressibility and hydraulic conductivity of a soil mass. They are very important in numerical simulation, foundation design, and many other applications in geotechnical engineering.