36 Description and classification of rocks

36.1 The scope of rock description

COMMENTARY ON 36.1
As for soils, rock descriptions are made on samples recovered from boreholes and
excavations and/or from examination of the in-situ materials. In the following
clauses "material characteristics of rocks" refers to those visible in an intact block
free from discontinuities, and "mass characteristics of rocks" refers to the overall
structure including, particularly, the discontinuities. Thus, only material characteristics
can be described on a hand specimen, but an in-situ exposure would permit
description of material and mass characteristics. Samples or cores from boreholes
normally only allow a limited description of mass characteristics. The quality of the
observed sample or exposure is reflected in the level of detail in the description; it is
essential that any doubts as to the representativeness or reliability of the sample be
stated. An accompanying report gives the origin, type and quality of each sample. In
this regard, particularly for rocks, it is often the 5% not recovered that might be
more critical than the 95% actually recovered.

36.1.1 General
The characteristics of a rock of engineering significance should be described;
these include the strength, weathering effects and the discontinuities. The
discontinuities are the most significant of these (unless the discontinuity spacing
is wide with respect to the engineering structure) and so particular attention
should be paid to their description.
The geological aspects of a rock should be described using terms from
geological science.
NOTE 1 These (often detailed) considerations of aspects such as mineralogy and
petrography are not directly applicable to most engineering problems but the use of
particular mineral or rock names can often indicate a range of typical engineering
characteristics.
Geological classification of rock materials should be made to appreciate the
geological origin and structure of an area, to establish geological correlation
between boreholes, and to distinguish boulders from bedrock.
NOTE 2 This knowledge of the geology of the rock is also of importance when rock
material is required for construction purposes, for example as building stone,
concrete aggregate or roadstone.
NOTE 3 The characteristics of rock material and rock mass can be inferred from
natural outcrops, excavations and rock cores. The amount of information that can be
obtained from cores is usually limited, compared to in-situ exposures, unless special
techniques are employed.

36.1.2 Description
Rocks seen in natural outcrops, cores and excavations should be described in the
following sequence:
a) material characteristics (see 36.2):
1) strength;
2) structure;
3) colour;
4) texture;
5) grain size;
6) rock name (in capitals, e.g. "GRANITE");