OR/15/065 Appendix 1 - Excavatability classification terms and descriptions

Entwisle, D, Lee, K A, and Lawley, R S. 2015. User guide for ‘BGS Civils’ - a suite of engineering properties datasets. British Geological Survey Internal Report, OR/15/065.

The excavatability dataset uses the classification for the TYPICAL density and TYPICAL strength rating for the 0–2 m depth range. These four excavatability ‘ratings’ correspond with the ‘BS5930_term’ which denotes the STRENGTH rating of the materials and the ‘mode_of_excavation’ denotes one of the four excavatability classes as shown below.

BS5930_term	MODE OF EXCAVATION
Extremely Strong	BLASTING
Very Strong	BLASTING
Strong	RIPPING
Medium Strong	RIPPING
Weak – Strong	RIPPING
Weak – Medium Strong	RIPPING
Weak	POWER TOOLS
Very Weak – Very Strong	POWER TOOLS
Very Weak – Strong	POWER TOOLS
Very Weak	POWER TOOLS
Extremely Weak	POWER TOOLS
Hard	POWER TOOLS
Very Stiff	POWER TOOLS
Stiff to Very Strong	POWER TOOLS
Stiff – Weak	POWER TOOLS
Stiff – Very Weak	POWER TOOLS
Stiff	HAND TOOLS
Firm – Stiff	HAND TOOLS
Firm	HAND TOOLS
Soft – Firm	HAND TOOLS
Soft	HAND TOOLS
Very Soft – Soft	HAND TOOLS
Very Soft	HAND TOOLS
Very Dense – Weak	HAND TOOLS
Very Dense	HAND TOOLS
Dense	HAND TOOLS
Medium Dense – Dense	HAND TOOLS
Medium Dense	HAND TOOLS
Loose – Medium Dense	HAND TOOLS
Loose	HAND TOOLS
Very Loose	HAND TOOLS
Variable	VARIABLE
Not Applicable	N/A