INDEX TESTS
These relatively low-cost tests are used to classify rock materials and determine their fundamental physical and geological characteristics. They are typically carried out on representative samples to build a clear understanding of rock types, composition, and condition across a site.
DURABILITY TESTS
Durability tests assess how rock materials break down, weaken, or weather when exposed to cycles of wetting, drying, freezing, or chemical attack. These tests help determine long‑term performance of rock in earthworks, slopes, tunnels and other environments where moisture and climate can cause deterioration. They are typically carried out on representative pieces of intact rock to evaluate how different lithologies will behave over the lifetime of a structure.
STRENGTH TESTS
Strength tests measure the fundamental mechanical resistance of rock materials to compression, tension, shear and confinement. These tests provide the core parameters used in geotechnical design, including intact strength and rock mass behaviour under different loading conditions. Strength testing is usually undertaken on carefully prepared intact core specimens to ensure reliable, high‑quality design data for foundations, slopes, tunnels and underground works.