Engineering geology of British rocks and soils Mudstones of the ...

Preface
The British Geological Survey (BGS) has a responsibility
for providing information on the physical properties of
rocks and sediments to enhance a wide range of activities
both on land and offshore. The BGS maintains laboratory
facilities and undertakes a wide range of geotechnical and
geophysical tests on core samples from boreholes, block
samples from trenches, and samples from rock exposures
in survey areas. As the national repository for geoscience
data in the UK, the Survey also holds an extensive archive
of geotechnical data in the form of site investigation
reports acquired from the public domain. The geotechnical
data acquired from these surveys are currently being
brought together in one common database format, via
specific studies related to various geological map sheets or
general studies such as the Engineering geology of British
rocks and soils project, the latest report of which is
described below.
Early work concentrated on the production of engineering
geological maps and over the years a wide range of different
types of maps have been produced both for BGS projects
and specialised commissioned studies for the Department of
Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR). These
maps were developed with an associated database and often
a table, in which the engineering properties of all the formations
on the map were assessed from the point of view of
civil engineering construction. This approach produced a
generalised geotechnical and geophysical appraisal of the
geological formations encountered on the maps, but did not
examine the variability of these properties for specific formations
outside the area of interest. Hence, the present
approach of studying a single formation in more detail over
its total extent both vertically and laterally was instigated.
The Mercia Mudstone study described below is the second
in this series of geotechnical studies.
Engineering Geology of British Rocks and Soils
Previous project reports:
Gault Clay. 1994. British Geological Survey Technical Report WN/94/31
Future project reports for studies currently underway:
Lambeth Group (draft report in preparation)
Lias
Brickearth
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Although it is not the intention to look at every geological
formation in the UK, the overall project is intended to study
those formations which present serious engineering problems
or upon which significant areas of the built environment are
founded. It is anticipated that the project will take a number
of years to characterise the necessary formations.
The study of the second formation has also refined the
methodology established by the first study, of the Gault
Clay, mainly with regard to improving the selection and
databasing of geotechnical data from site investigation
reports.
The Engineering geology of British rocks and soils
project thanks the many people who have helped in the
course of this study. Special thanks are due to the project's
advisory panel of Mr David Patterson (Highways Agency),
Dr John Perry (Mott MacDonald) and Prof Mike
Rosenbaum (Nottingham Trent University) whose constructive
criticism and advice are invaluable in ensuring the
project aims and outputs remain focussed on the needs of
the user community, and in guiding future progress.
Thanks are also due to the many staff of the British
Geological Survey, not named in the report as co-authors,
who have contributed to the success of the project.
David C Holmes
Programme Director
(Environment & Hazards)
British Geological Survey Keyworth
Nottingham
March 2002