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IS 4078 (1980): Code of practice for indexing and storage

of drill cores [WRD 5: Gelogical Investigation and
Subsurface Exploration]

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IS : 4078-1980
( Reaffirmed 2004 )

Indian Standard
CODE OF PRACTICE FOR
INDEXING
AND STORAGE OF DRILL
(

CORES

First Revision )

First Reprint JUNE 1989

UDC

622243570044

: 00676

0 Copyright 1980
BUREAU
MANAK

OF
BHAVAN,

INDIAN
9

BAHADUR

NEW

Gr 3

DELHI

STANDARDS
SHAH

ZAFAR

MARG

110002

August 1980

IS :4078- 1980

Indian Standard
CODE OF PRACTICE FOR
INDEXING AND STORAGE OF DRlLL CORES

( First Revision )
Subsurface

Exploration

Sectional

Committee,
Representing

Chairman
SHRI V. S. K~ISENASWA~~Y

BDC 49

Geological

Survey of India, Calcutta

Members
SHRI G. .PANT ( Altrrnatc to
Shri V. S. Krishnaswatny )
SHRI P. A. BAKSHI
SHI~IH. CH~NDRASEKA~
SARI K. N. DADINA
SHRI K. R. DATYI

Gementation Co Ltd, Bombay

Public Works & Electrical Department, Government
of Karnataka, Bangalore
In personal capacity ( P-820, Block P, New Aliporc,
Calcutta )
In personal capacity
( Rcham Mansion No. 244,
S. Bhagat Singh Road, Colaba, Bombay )
Central Water Commission, New Delhi

DIRECTOR ( CSMRS )
SUPERINTENDINOENQINEEB,
CH~NAB
InvnaTlo~~10~
CIRCLE ( Alternate )
Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Bombay
SRRI V. L. GORIANI
SHRI V. GUPTA ( Alternate )
Irrigation Department,
Government
of Punjab,
SHRI HARBANS SINQH
Chandigarh
SHRI S. R. BUDHWAL ( Al& .sti )
Ministry of Shipping and Transport, New Delhi
SERI A. D. NARAIN
Asia Foundation & Construction ( Pvt ) Ltd, Bombay
SARI A. M. NERURKAR
SHRI A. N. JANQLE ( Altemat6 )
Hindustan Construction Co Ltd, Bombay
Sanr B. K. PANTEARY
SHRI S. K. FOTEDAR ( Altcmats )
SHRI N. K. PILLAI
Voltar Ltd, Bombay
SHRI A. N. INDURKAR ( Altnnatr )
MERI,
Irrigation Department, Government of Maharashtra,
RES~AROH OFFICER,
NASIK
Bombay
Irrigation and Power Department, Government of
SI~RI S. SATAPAT~I
Orissa, Bhubaneshwar
( Continued on pag6 2 )

@ Copyright 1980
BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS
This publication is protected under the Zndian Copyright Act,( XIV of 1957 ) and
reproduction in whole or in part by any means except with written permitsion of the
publisher shall be deemed to be an infringement of cop-right under the said Act.

IS : 4078 - 1980
( Continued from page I )
Rgrssdding

Mombrrs
SHRI K. R. SAXENA
SHRI D. P. SENQUPTA

SHBI D. SRABMA ( Abut&

SERI M. M. SHAH

Engineering Research Laboratories,

Hyderabad
Central
Building
Research
Institute
( CSIR ),
Roorkce
)

SIJPERINTENDIN~ENGINE=
( GEOLOGY) ( Alkrnofr )
Soar M. K. SIN~HAL
SHBI VIJENDBA SINQH
SERI D. AJITEA SIMHA,
Director ( Civ Engg )

Public Works Department,

Gandhinagar

of Gujarat,

Irrigation Research Institute, Roorkce

Government
of
Irrigation
Department,
Pradesh, Lucknow
Director General, ISI ( Ex-o&cio Membrr )

Secretary
Sam

Deputy

Government

K. K. SHlaYA
Director ( Civ Engg ), ISI

Uttar

Indian Standard
CODE OF PRACTICE FOR
INDEXING AND STORAGE OF DRILL CORES

( First Revision)
0.

FOREWORD

0.1 This Indian Standard ( First Revision ) was adopted by the Indian
Standards Institution on 29 February 1980, after the draft revision
finalized by the Subsurface Exploration Sectional Committee had been
approved by the Civil Engineering Division Council.
0. 2 This standard was first published in 1967. The present revision
has been made to reflect the experience gained on the subject since then.
Some of the important modifications done in this revision relate to: (a)
provision of serially numbering all pieces in a run, (b) method of
numbering to be adopted when there are more than one core-box for a
hole, and (c) provision of keeping copies of finally prepared detailed
report on geological logs in the core library.
0.3 Core drilling is one of the most important items of subsurface
exploration at the various river valley project sites and other sites of
engineering construction. The data provided by such drilling, when
interpreted by a competent engineering geologist, gives valuable subsurface
geological information, such as depth of overburden at the site of
the hole, lithological
and physical nature of overburden/bedrock,
continuity of the formation drilled, frequency and nature of joints as
well as their water-tightness, location of bedding seams and other
discontinuities, thrusts, faults, underground cavities and burried valleys
and leads to the evaluation of subsurface geological features.
0.4 In order to extract maximum possible information from this process
and to prevent the loss of the valuable subsurface data obtained by
costly core-drilling, it is necessary that the cores obtained are kept in a
good condition, properly arranged and accurately marked. In view of the
above and to unify the diverse practices prevailing in the country in
regard to indexing and storage of cores, this standard has been prepared.
Even though the main intent of this code is to provide the necessary
guidance for the indexing and storage of drill cores for river valley
projects, the provisions of this code with appropriate modifications may
oe applicable to other types of investigations, such as for bridges and
mineral prospecting.
3

IS:4078

- 1980

0.5 In the formulation

of this standard due weightage has been given to
international
co-ordination
among the standards
and practices prevailing
in different
countries
in addition
to relating it to the practices
in the
field in this country.
0.6 For the purpose of deciding whether a particular
requirement
of this
standard
is complied
with, the final value, observed
or calculated,
expressing
the result of a test or analysis,
shall be rounded
off in
accordance
with IS : 2-1960*.
The number of significant places retained
in the rounded
off values should be the same as that of the specified
values in this standard.

1. SCOPE
1.1 This standard lays down recommendations
for indexing and storage
of cores and cuttings obta.ined by drilling and special samples that may
be recovered during the drilling operation.
2. ARRANGING

AND INDEXING

OF

GORES

2.1 At the site of drilling,

the cores, immediately

on their withdrawal
from the core barrel shall be placed in core tray and then transferred to
core boxes specially made for this purpose. These boxes should be made
of seasoned timber or any other durable material.
If made of timber the
top lid of the box shall be made up of a maximum of two planks. If two
planks are used the lid should be strengthened
by means of battens.
Battens should also be provided at each end at the bottom to facilitate
handling,,,There
should be different
sizes of compartments
to accommod&
different
sizes of cores.
It is desirable to provide grooves on
the inside .of the widthwise sides of the box corresponding
to the widths
of compartments
for the AX, BX and NX size cores ( see Note 2 under
Fig. 1 ) so that the partitions for the compartments
can he slid in easily.
The cores shall be arranged starting from the side nearest to .the hinge
from the left to the right end of the box in the order of increasing depth
from the surface, in a manner very similar to the lines on the pages of
a book ( see Fig. 1 ). All core pieces shall be numbered
serially, omitting
very small pieces in the run.
An arrow mark (-+)
towards increasing
depth shall be marked on every piece of core.
2.2 The cores shall be separated at the end ofthe runs, either by inserting
cross partitions of wood or by using the side supports in the case of the
end of the core box, and the depths shall be clearly marked with paint,
indelible ink or copying pencil. For each run, the pieces of core should
be tightly packed together, as nearly as possible to its original condition
in the ground. The cross partitions of wood,wherever
used,
shall be of
*Rules for rounding off numerical values ( rc~irrd ).
4

IS:4078-1980
suitable size and fixed tightly to fit in the longitudinal
partitions in the
core box. (The cross partitions
should be about 50 mm in width and
of length and depth to fit tightly into the compartments.
)
2.3 In case there is no core recovery in an entire run, part of a run or
in consecutive
runs, separate wooden filler blocks, preferably a wooden
dummy equal in length to the core loss, shall be inserted for each of the
core loss sections and marked with paint, indelible ink or copying pencil
thereon.
The appropriate
depths shall be marked
on the wooden
partitions on each flank of the core loss run. Each core loss dummy
filler should be arranged
in a position in the core box corresponding
with the position of,core
loss in the ground.
If the position of a core
loss within a run is not known ( and this is often the case) then, by
convention,
the core loss dummy filler may be placed at the bottom of
the run.
2.4 For reaches where core recoverey
is anticipated
to be poor, the
return drill water shall be collected in bowls and the settled sludge shall
be recovered suitably packed in polythene bags and kept in the core box
with separating
wooden blocks on either side marked with the depths
and the inscription
Washings.
Attempt shall be made to collect the
cores, as far as possible,
even in the runs made in the overburden
section at a drilling site.
2.5 Cores at the drilling sites shall be kept at a clean and dry place.
The core boxes shall be closed immediatly
after a core run is kept and
the necessary indexing has been done, in order to avoid any infiltration
of extraneous
material
and the consequent spoiling of the core surfaces,
all of which may render proper interpretation
of the cores difficult
later on. The cores should be so packed in the core boxes that they are
not damaged
in transit.
Packing material like dry straw, cotton waste,
etc, may be used to make the cores tight in the box. Latches shall then
be secured on each of the core boxes and, before they are transported
to
the,place of detailed examination
and storage, it shall be ensured that
the latches are well fixed and that there is no possibility of mixing of
the cores during their transit from the field to the place of examination
and then to- the core shed.
2.6 The drill hole number, the box number and the engineering
feature
for which the hole had been made shall be noted on the top of the
lid of the individual core boxes at the drilling site itself su as to avoid
any possibility
of the mixing-up
of the core boxes during transit.
A
suitable core box or a set of core boxes for each bore hole should be kept
to avoid mixing of cores from different holes. When there are more than
one core box for a single hole, these should be numbered indicating the
numerator
as serial number and denominator
as total number of corn
boxes for that hole ( for example, l/3,2/3 and 313 for three core boxes for
a hole ).

20 mm THICK

(CORE.
LOSS)

DUMMY

20 mm

63mm

/
t--yssmm
2omm

THICK

OPEN

CLOSED
NOTE

l-

VIEW

VIEW

* Indicates depths at which cores were obtained.

DH - drill hole.
&C -

redgccd level,

TtHCK

NOTE 2 - This figure gives typical detaila of a box for 5k7 mm diameter core. The box with
the ume overall dimension, may be used for cores of diameter 42.0 and 30.0 mm by dividing the
inside of the box into 5 or 6 compartments
respectively instead of the 4 compartments
shown in
the Figure for 547 mm core giving the following compartment
widths:

The 517, 42.0

rcrpectively.

Cma Dianu&r

W%?hof Cimportment in

mm

mm

and

thr Cow Box

547

61

42.0

48

SO.0

36

300

mm

corea are generally

Fro. 1 TYPICAL DETAILS OF CORE

designated

Box

as NX,

FOR 547

mm

BX,

and

AX

DIA CORE

cores

IS:4078 -1980
2.7 On completion of drilling of each hole, the cores should be logged
by a competent
engineering geologist who should also check the Daily
Drill Report
and discuss with the concerned
driller any peculiarities
or uncertainties
recorded during the drilling of the hole. The core boxes
shall be finally shifted under the instruction of the competent authority
to a core library specially built for the purpose.
Two copies each of
the daily drill reports shall be sent along with the core boxes, one for
study in connection
with the preparation
of the detailed geological
logs of the drill holes and another for being kept as a record in the core
library.
2.8 Copies of detailed report on geological logs, when finally prepared,
should be maintained
in the core library,
after proper indexing,
SO
that these are readily available when required.
3. STORAGE

OF CORES

3.1 It is recommended
that a core library be maintained
at medium
and major river valley projects for at least 10 years after the completion
of the project so that it may he possible to check. the sub-surface
conditions
and to study the problematical
foundation features which
may occasionally
arise during the construction phase or the post-construction maintenance
phase of the project.
The question of storing the
cores after this period may be reviewed.
In the construction
of a core
library, a good system of ventilation
and lighting shall be planned, so
that the inspection and maintenance
of the cores may be carried out
efficiently. A small cabin should be provided in a suitable place in the
core library for storage of the painting materials and spare core boxes.
3.2 Immediately
on their arrival in the core library
the core boxes
shall be cleaned and painted.
The paint shall be of such a nature as.
to be durable and water resistant.
After primary coating of the paint
on the outside surfaces of the core boxes the top lid of the boxes shall be
inscribed
in a well contrasted
paint colour with the feature of the
project for which the drill hole was made, the drill hole number,
location co-ordinates,
reduced level of the drill hole, total length of the
cores contained
in the box and the box number.
The sides of the core
boxes shall further be inscribed with the drill hole number, the length
of the cores contained
in the box and the serial number of the box, for
easy reference when the boxes are kept in the library racks.
No painting
is necessary inside the core box, except along the rim of the box, on
the inserted dummy blocks and the partitions separating the individual
runs, which should be inscribed with the reason for core loss and the
lengths of the runs as marked earlier on the field.
8

IS:4078-1980
3.3 In the. case of cores which are liable to disintegrate
on exposure,
suitable representative
samples may be taken and preserved
by waxing
or by any other suitable method. A copy of record of drilling information
of the bore hole and the details of cores suitably
prepared
using the
pro forma given in Appendix
B of IS : 44641967*
should be compiled
If such samples are taken, a record to that
and kept in the core library.
effect should be kept at the corresponding
section of the run in the core
box. If any portion of the core is removed from the box for testing or
other examination
this should also be recorded
by insertion
of suitable
remarks on a square section of timber painted
white, kept in the core
box.
3.4 A series of racks should be arranged
in the
boxes after being painted
and suitably captioned,
in the racks according
to the serial order and area
daily drill reports received from the field should
ready reference in the core library.

core library and the

should he arranged
of exploration.
The
also be available
for

*Code of practice for presentation of drilling information and core description in

foundation investigation.
9

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OF

INDIAN

STANDARDS
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