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Soil and rock description in engineering practice. D. Norbury. Caithness: Whittles, 2010. 302 pp. ISBN 978- 1904445-65-4. £80.00
The description of soil and rock, whether in situ or of samples from a borehole, is a key part of every site investigation. Systematic and accurate descriptions will convey a significant amount of information to the geotechnical designer and contractor about the expected engineering behaviour of the ground. This book is therefore very welcome, as it is one of only a few to focus on this vital area of geotechnical practice.
Whereas in the UK the engineering description of soils has developed around conveying expected mechanical and physical behaviour, the description of rocks, and in particular the naming of rocks, has its origins in geology. Codification has attempted to unify the description of soil and rock in the UK and Europe, and David Norbury has been a major driving force behind this. With over 30 years of first-hand experience as an engineering geologist he is very well placed to provide...