dataset · United Kingdom
Engineering Properties: Discontinuities
This dataset is a characterisation of discontinuity types found within rocks and soils in Great Britain. Discontinuities are breaks, fractures or planes of weakness in the rock mass. The dataset includes type, frequency and orientation of discontinuities within rock and soil materials at formation (local to regional) scale. The discontinuities are classified in 3 categories: stratification (bedding planes), foliation (mineral banding) and rock mass description. The dataset aims to facilitate the
Visit source ↗Source details
Licence: ["The copyright of materials derived from the British Geological Survey's work is vested in the Natural Environment Research Council [NERC]. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in an
Evidence quality: 38.1
Listed in data.gov.uk public catalogue API on 2026-10-16; relevance/value screened (haiku).
Metadata checked: 2026-10-14T13:20:00.000Z
What's in it
- Data offered docs-verified
- discontinuity type · discontinuity frequency · discontinuity orientation · stratification (bedding planes) · foliation (mineral banding) · rock mass description
- Coverage docs-verified
- Great Britain
- Resolution docs-verified
- Formation-level, local to regional scale; no numeric resolution stated
- Update frequency docs-verified
- As needed (no fixed schedule)
- Access docs-verified
- Viewable on data.gov.uk. Reuse restricted by NERC/BGS copyright, which applies to this dataset despite the site-wide OGL footer. No API key or auth listed.
Useful for
- Use cases llm-inferred
- Preliminary ground-condition review for foundation and cutting design, using discontinuity orientation and frequency · Rock slope stability screening for road or rail alignments · Desk-study input for quarry or resource extraction feasibility
- Audience llm-inferred
- geotechnical engineers · engineering geologists · civils engineers · planners
Limitations
- Constraints docs-verified
- No warranty of quality or accuracy; use is at the customer's own risk · Copyright held by NERC; no reproduction or transmission without prior permission from the copyright holder · Licence field not set in dataset metadata · Updated as needed only, with no fixed schedule · Describes materials from base of soil to c. 3m depth (uppermost c. 2m of geology), as part of the DiGMap Plus series
Evidence
- https://www.bgs.ac.uk/
- https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/07bc360f-741e-4cc6-a641-1ad0499a362c/engineering-properties-discontinuities1
Check upstream coverage, uncertainty and licence before use. Station observations are not forecasts or design levels.