Designation: D 6032 96

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Reprinted from the Annual Book of ASTM Standards. Copyright ASTM

Standard Test Method for

Determining Rock Quality Designation (RQD) of Rock Core1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 6032; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope excavation for foundations of structures. The RQD values also

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the rock can serve to identify potential problems related to bearing
quality designation (RQD) as a standard parameter in drill core capacity, settlement, erosion, or sliding in rock foundations.
logging. The RQD can provide an indication of rock quality in quarries
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the for concrete aggregate, rockfill, or large riprap.
standard. The values stated in inch-pound units are approxi- 4.3 The RQD has been widely used as a warning indicator
mate. of low-quality rock zones that may need greater scrutiny or
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the require additional borings or other investigational work.
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the 4.4 The RQD is a basic component of many rock mass
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- classification systems for engineering purposes.
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- 4.5 Used alone, The RQD is not sufficient to provide an
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. adequate description of rock mass quality. The RQD does not
account for joint orientation, tightness, continuity, and gouge
2. Referenced Documents material. The RQD must be used in combination with other
2.1 ASTM Standards: geological and geotechnical input.
D 2113 Practice for Diamond Core Drilling for Site Inves- 4.6 The RQD is sensitive to the orientation of joint sets with
tigation2 respect to the orientation of the core. That is, a joint set parallel
D 5079 Practices for Preserving and Transporting Rock to the core axis will not intersect the core, unless the drill hole
Core Samples3 happens to run along the joint. A joint set perpendicular to the
E 691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to core axis will intersect the core axis at intervals equal to the
Determine the Precision of a Test Method4 joint spacing. For intermediate orientations, the spacing of joint
intersections with the core will be a cosine function of angle
3. Summary of Test Method between joints and the core axis.
3.1 The RQD denotes the percentage of intact rock retrieved 4.7 Core sizes from BQ to PQ with core diameters of 36.5
from a borehole. All pieces of intact rock core equal to or mm (1.44 in.) and 85 mm (3.35 in.), respectively, are normally
greater than 100 mm (4 in.) long are summed and divided by acceptable for measuring RQD as long as proper drilling
the total length of the core run, as shown in Fig. 1. Engineering techniques are used that do not cause excess core breakage or
judgement may be necessary to determine if a piece of core poor recovery, or both. The NX-size (54.7 mm [2.16 in.]) and
qualifies as being intact. NQ-size (47.5 mm [1.87 in.]) are the optimal core sizes for
measuring RQD. The RQD is also useful for large core
4. Significance and Use diameters provided the core diameter is clearly stated. The
4.1 The RQD was first introduced in the mid 1960s to RQD calculated for core smaller than BQ may not be repre-
provide a simple and inexpensive general indication of rock sentative of the true quality of the rock mass.
mass quality to predict tunneling conditions and support
5. Procedure
requirements. The recording of RQD has since become virtu-
ally standard practice in drill core logging for a wide variety of 5.1 Drilling of the rock core should be done in accordance
geotechnical investigations. with Practice D 2113. It is important that proper drilling
4.2 The RQD values provide a basis for making preliminary techniques are used to minimize core breakage or poor core
design decisions involving estimation of required depths of recovery, or both.
5.2 There are several ways to define a core run. Three of
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-18 on Soil these are: (1) a core run is equal to a drill run; (2) a change in
and Rock and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.21 on Ground Water formation or rock type could constitute an end of a core run;
and Vadose Zone Investigations. and (3) a core run can be a selected zone of concern. In
Current edition approved Oct. 10, 1996. Published May 1997.
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.08.
determining a core run it is important to be consistent through-
3
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.09. out a drill hole and to document how the core run was defined.
4
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02.

1
 D 6032

FIG. 1 RQD Logging5

5.3 Retrieval, preservation, transportation, storage, and NOTE 1Centerline measurements ensure that the RQD value resulting
cataloging of the rock core should be done in accordance with from the measurements is not dependent on the core diameter. Centerline
Practices D 5079. The RQD should be logged on site when the measurements also avoid unduly penalizing resulting RQD values for
cases where fractures parallel the core axis (that is, vertical fractures).
core is retrieved because some rocks can disintegrate, due to
slaking, desiccation, stress relief, or swelling, with time. For 5.6 Only those pieces of rock formed by natural fractures
these rocks it is recommended that the RQD be measured again (that is, joints, shear zones, bedding planes, or cleavage planes
after 24 h to assist in determining durability. that result in surfaces of separation) shall be considered for
5.4 Close visual examination of core pieces is required for RQD purposes. The core pieces on either side of core breaks
assessing the type of fracture (that is, natural or drill break). caused by the drilling process shall be fitted together and
Pieces of core that are moderately or intensely weathered, counted as one piece. Drilling breaks are usually evident by
contain numerous pores, or are friable, or combination thereof, rough fresh surfaces. In some cases it may be difficult to
should not be included in the summation of pieces greater than differentiate between natural fractures and drilling breaks.
100 mm (4 in.) for the determination of the RQD. Any rejected When in doubt, count a fracture as a natural fracture. If for
piece of core is still included as part of the total length of core some reason there is not 100 % core recovery for a drill run, the
run and should be noted in the report. length of core left in the borehole should be taken into account
5.5 Measure all core piece lengths that are intact and greater by adding it to the run in which it was cored rather than the run
than 100 mm (4 in.) to the nearest 1 mm (0.04 in.) and record in which it was retrieved.
on a RQD data sheet (Fig. 2). Measure such pieces along the 5.7 Record the top and bottom depths of each core run.
centerline of the core as illustrated in Fig. 15 5.8 Sketch core features such as natural fractures, drilling
breaks, lost core, highly weathered pieces, and so forth.
5.9 Include remarks concerning judgement decisions such
5
Deere, D. U., and Deere, D. W., The Rock Quality Designation (RQD) Index
as whether a break in a core is a natural fracture or a drilling
in Practice, Rock Classification Systems for Engineering Purposes, ASTM STP 984, break or why a piece of core longer than 100 mm (4 in.) was
1988, pp. 91101. not considered to be intact.

2
 D 6032

FIG. 2 RQD Data Sheet

5.10 Record the sum of intact core pieces longer than 100 6. Calculation
mm (4 in.) long, and calculate the RQD value for the core run
6.1 Calculate as a percentage, the RQD of a core run as
evaluated.
follows:
5.11 Indicate the rock quality description for the core run
using the rock quality table in Fig. 1.

3
 D 6032
@(length of intact core pieces . 100 mm ~4 in.!#3 100 % TABLE 1 RQD Index of Cores of Sedimentary Rock
RQD 5 total core run length Mean RQD, Repeatability, Reproducibility,
(1) Material (Rock Type)
x, % r, % A R, % A
Anhydrite/calcite 86 28 28
7. Precision and Bias
Calcareous shale 60 32 40
7.1 PrecisionA round-robin study of the RQD index of Limestone 92 14 14
Anhydrite 86 20 20
cores of four selected types of sedimentary rock (anhydrite/
A
The numbers in the r and R columns are not to be taken as percentages of the
calcite, calcareous shale, limestone, and anhydrite) with four means, but are applied as plus or minus terms to the respective means.
replications per rock type was conducted in accordance with
Practice E 691 by eight experienced participants.6 The repeat- r 5 2~=2!sr (2)
ability and reproducibility statistics reported in Table 1 refer to where sr 5 repeatability standard deviation, and
within-participant and between-participant precision, respec-
tively. The probability is approximately 95 % that two results R 5 2~=2!sR (3)
obtained by the same participant on the same material will not where sR 5 reproducibility standard deviation.
differ by more than the repeatability limit r. Likewise, the
NOTE 2Some combinations of the means and r and K can result in
probability is approximately 95 % that two results obtained by KQD limits that exceed 100 % because the RQD values have been
different participants on the same material will not differ by assumed to be normally distributed which may not reflect the actual
more than the reproducibility limit R. The precision statistics underlying distribution of the RQD values.
are calculated from the following equation: 7.2 BiasThere is no accepted reference value for this test
method; therefore, bias cannot be determined.
6
Pincus, H. J., and Clift, S. J., Interlaboratory Testing Program for Rock 8. Keywords
Properties: Repeatability and Reproducibility of RQD Values for Selected Sedimen-
tary Rocks, PCN: 33-000011-38, ASTM Institute of Standards Research, 1994. 8.1 classification; index; logging; quality; rock; rock core

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