36.3.

2 Geological unit
A guide to the name of a geological unit is given on the maps, memoirs and
sheet explanations of the British Geological Survey or its antecedents, and the
name should be written with at least capital initial letters, e.g. "Wilmslow
Sandstone Formation", "Middle Chalk", "Lower Lias". Alternatively, the unit
may be given in brackets and/or in upper case letters for clarity. The geological
unit should be named where this can be done with confidence, but it might not
be easy to tell to which unit a core or exposure belongs, or to locate unit
boundaries in a borehole or exposure; conjecture should be avoided but degrees
of uncertainty may be indicated. The logger should make this identification,
being best placed while carrying out the logging of the exposure(s), and as a
first step to identifying the correct geological code.
NOTE The comments in 33.5 are also pertinent in applying unit names to rocks.

36.4 Description of rock masses

36.4.1 General
The description of rock masses should include information, additional to and
following the description of the rock material, about discontinuities and other
features of engineering significance. Such additional information should include:
a) details of the weathering profile;
b) a full description of the discontinuities or sets of discontinuities;
c) evaluation of the discontinuity state.

36.4.2 Weathering

36.4.2.1 State of weathering

COMMENTARY ON 36.4.2.1
The description of the weathering of rocks is of particular importance in ground
investigations as most construction on or in a rock mass is undertaken at shallow
depth within the zone of surface weathering. Many attempts have been made to
devise weathering grade scales for particular rock masses. Scales have been devised
for granite (see Moye, 1955 [56]); Southern Province White Chalk subgroup
(see Ward, Burland and Gallois [57], CIRIA Project Report 11 [58] and Spink and
Norbury, 1990 [59]); mudstones (see Spink and Norbury, 1993 [60]) and Mercia
mudstone (see Chandler, 1969 [61]). Working parties of the Engineering Group of
the Geological Society have also devised general scales (see Quarterly Journal of
Engineering Geology, 1972 [62], Anon, 1995 [63] and Martin and Hencher, 1986 [64]).
The relative merits of previous schemes are discussed in Anon, 1995 [63].
A full factual description should be given of the degree, extent and nature of
weathering (Approach 1 as shown in Figure 9) as described in Anon, 1995 [63].
In any rock description, full details of the degree, extent and nature of
weathering effects should be included so that readers can appreciate their
influence on engineering properties.
NOTE Prescriptive classification might be inappropriate in many cases, whereas
factual description of weathering:
• is a mandatory part of the full description;
• is of use for subsequent classification;
• is often the only possible way of dealing with weathering where the full profile
is not seen;
• is carried out at material and mass scales as appropriate;