Grade Description Field identification Approx. ego
compressive
strength (MPa)
R6 Extremely strong rock Specimen ean only be chipped with geological +250
hammer.
RS Very strong rock Specimen requises many blows of geological 100-250
hammer to fracture it.
RA Strong rock. Specimen requizes more than one blow of 50-100
geological hammer to fracture it
RB Medium strong rock Cannot be scraped or peeled with a pocket 25-50
* nif, specimen can be fractured with single
firm blow of geological hammer.
R2 Weak rock Can be peeled by a pocket knife with difficulty, 5.0-25
shallow indentations made by firm blow with
point of geological hammer.
RL Very weak rock Crumbles under firm blows with point of 1.0-5.0
geological hammer and can be peeled by
scket knife
Ro Extremely weak rock —_Indented by thumbnail 0.25-1.0
$6 Hard clay Indented with difficulty by thumbnail. >05
85 Very stiff clay Readily indented by thumbnail. 0.25-0.5
SA Stiff clay Readily indented by chumb bue penetrated 010.35
only with great difficulty.
3 Firm clay Can be penetrated several inches by thumb 0.05-0.1
with moderate effort.
s2 Soft clay Easily penetrated several inches by thumb. 0.025-0.05
st Very soft clay Easily penetrated several inches by fist <0.025