Consultant; Director, David Norbury Limited, Reading, UK; Honorary Professor in Engineering Geology, University of Sussex, UK

Praise for the 1st and 2nd editions - '...This is a very thorough book and is well-presented and printed, with clear tables, helpful thumbnail photographs and figures and text boxes containing tips and example descriptions. ... Buy this book'. Geoscientist -------------------- '...It is crammed full of tables, figures, photographs, all in an authoritative text. ...The pictures (worth a thousand words!) are invariably clear and helpful... ... it is a reference book ... an endless source of information'. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment -------------------- '...David Norbury is uniquely placed to write such a book. .... will help both the practitioner and their colleagues and clients benefit from objective and consistent descriptions. ...is essential reading for anyone involved in the technical aspects of site characterisation – whether for risk assessment or remediation'. JISCMAIL forum

• Preface; Definitions; Introduction; History of description in codification; Systematic description; Description of materials; Relative density and strength; Structure, fabric and texture; Colour; Secondary and tertiary fractions; Geological unit; Weathering; Discontinuity logging; Discontinuity state recording; Low density soils; Anthropogenic ground; Classification schemes; Description process boreholes; Description process field exposures; Appendix; References; Bibliography; Index