GEOSPEC SDN BHD

(Geological and Geotechnical Specialists)

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Table 1: yellow

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Grey BIue Green Brown Orange Red

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Table 2: Cohesive Soils - CLAY/SILT Table 3: Non-Cohensive Soils - SAND
sPilN- Undrained Shear Angle of Internal Fridion, p
Term Field Identiflcation Term SPI "N" Value
value Strength (kN/ml (degree)

Very soft 0-2 <20 Exudes between the fingers when squeezed Very Loose 0 -4 <29
Soft z-4 20-40 Easily moulded by light fingers pressure Loose 4-10 29-30
Soft to Firm 40-50 Medium Dense 10-30 30-36
Firm 4-8 50-7s Can be moulded by strong finger pressure
Dense 30-50 36-41
Firm to Stiff 75 - 100
Very Dense >50 >41
sriff 8-15 100 - 150 )nnot be moulded bv finoers
Very Stitr 15-30 > 150 Can be indented by thumbnail
Hard >30 > 450 lndented with difficulty by thumbnail

Table 4: Typical Value of 0 for Dry Non-Cohensive Soils

Table 6: Particle Shape Table 7: Degree
@ , (Degrees)
Type of soil and grading Loose Dense Particle Angularity Illustration
Rounded Angular Rounded Angular

Sand
Uniform fine to medium
well'graded
30
34
35
39
37
40
43
45
Angular @se3
Sand and Gravel
Gravel
35 42
40
40
45
48 Subangular d o@
silt
35
28-32 30-3s
50
Subrounded cE3 0
Rounded aQ)o
Table 5: Percentage of Component

Description
o/o by weight of o/o of Components
Equant
{Equi-dimensional)
ooo
total soil
Ll
Flat @<c o
..with trace of..
..with a little..
< 10%
IO - 2OVo
L0o/o
a
35o/o
t5s Elongate e ae
..with some.. 20 - 35o/o
s0% gF*s Flat & Elong z"atP
..and.. 35 - 50o/o
20o/o
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Table 8: Rock Strength (Uniaxial Compressive Strength)
q, {MN/m1
Term Field Identification Table 9: Rock Quality Designation
Very weak < 1.25 Gravel size lumps can be crushed between finger and thumb
Weak 1.25 - 5.0 sravel size lumps can be broken in half by heavy hand pressure Term RQD (%)
Moderately weak 5.0 - 12.5 )nly thin slabs, corners or edges can be broken off with heaw hand pressure Very poor <zs
Moderately strong 12.5 - 50 when held in the hand, rock can be broken by hammer blows Poor 25-50
Strong 50 - 100 when resting on a solid surface, rock can be broken by hamrner blows Fair 50-75
Very strong 100 - 200 lock chipped by heaw hammer blows Good 75-90
Extremely Srong > 200 lock rings on hammer blows. Only broken by sledgehammer Excellent 90 - 100

Table 1O: Weathering Grade

Term Grade Description Field Identification
lock showing no discolordtion; perhaps slight discoloration on major Tough and hard. Edges usually cannot be pared with knife. Rings
Fresh
Jiscontinuity when stuck with a hammer.
lock may be slightly discolored, particularly adjacent to discontinuities
Slightly fough and hard. Shae edges can only be slightly pared with hand
II ,vhich may be open and will have lightly discolored surface. The intact rock
<nife. Usualiy dull not€ when struck witi hammer.
Weathered
s not notically weaked than the fresh rock

-ess than half of the rock is de€omposed or disintergrated t0 soil. Fresh or iharp edges pared fairly easily by hand knife and may be crumbled
Moderately
III liscoloured rock is present either as a continuous ftame work or as ry hand. Pieces of NX core 54mm dia. and 152.4mm long cannot be
Weathered
:orestones. The intact rock is noticeably weaker than the fresh rock. :roken by hand where parent rock is strong.

,lore than half of th erock is decomposed or disintegrated to soil. Fresh or Pared easily by hand knifq. Pieces of NX core 54mm dia. and
Highly
IV 152.4mm long can be broken by hand. When hit with hammer, dead
Weathered ,iscoloured rock is present as a discontinous frame work or as corestone.
sound and penetrates surfaces.

Completely lock is discoloured and changed to a soil but original fabric is mainly
lan be moulded and mlled into a thread or ball.
Weathered lreserved. There may be occasional small core$one.

Residual lock is discoloured and completely changed to a soil in which o.iginal rock
VI :an be easily moulded and rolled into a thread or ball.
Soil bbric is completely de$royed. There is a large change in volume.