Soil and Rock Description
in Engineering Practice
A major new practical guide to the engineering geological description of soils and rocks in the field written by David Norbury has been published.
Download a flyer and order your copy now.
or contact David direct for a copy
A corrigendum for a few errors found in the book is also available - download here.
- IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SOIL
Description guidance table
Summary guidance on the word order, terms and their definitions used in description
- IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF ROCK
Description guidance table
Summary guidance on the word order, terms and their definitions used in description
- COLOUR
Colour definitions
Definitions of colours commonly used in soil and rock description
- FIELD RECORD SHEETS
Pro-forma sheets for use for data recording in the field as listed in the Appendix in Norbury (2010)
a) Sample description for the systematic description of samples such as from a borehole. This sheet can also be used to record the description of any other ad hoc sampling exercise.
b) Sample description for the systematic description of borehole samples which includes space for the recording of the stratum boundaries and the descriptions of the strata. This format is very useful for field use but does provide less space for the sample descriptions than the previous sheet.
c) Extruded sample description for use when carrying out the extrusion and splitting of samples for detailed recording of fabric features. This is most commonly carried out in detailed investigations of recent normally consolidated soils, but the format is useable on any core sample of up to 1 m in length.
d) Core description to record the description of continuous rotary cores of soil or rock including the descriptions, discontinuities and fracture indices.
e) Borehole discontinuity log for use when recording detail on each discontinuity within a core, and when the requirement is to record all available information on each fracture in turn. This amount of information does not readily fit onto a Core Description sheet, or onto a normal field log, and so this information is tabulated, and entered into the field records as a table.
f) Trial pit log for the recording of the soil or rock exposed in trial pits or short trenches. Long trenches will require a rather larger sheet of paper. The boxes available on this form include for the recording of samples and field tests carried out in situ. This form can also be used for the mapping of horizontal surfaces such as foundation excavations or trench bases exposed during the course of the construction works.
g) Exposure log for use in ad hoc exposures or excavations such as may typically be found in exposures during construction works.
h) Scan line fracture log for use in the systematic recording of fractures on scan lines set up in the field. This sheet is similar to the Borehole Discontinuity log but has additional columns due to the extra information that is available for recording in a field exposure.
i) Tunnel face log is an adaptation of several of the other sheets and is suitable for use in a machine or hand bored circular section tunnel. The shape of the face is readily adjusted for other profiles. This is the sort of sheet that can often sensibly be laminated for use underground.
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