IS : 4078-1980

( Reaffirmed 1995 )
Indian Standard
CODE OF PRACTICE FOR
INDEXING AND STORAGE OF DRILL CORES

( First Revision ) P

First Reprint JUNE 1989 ,

UDC 622’243’57’004’4 : 006’76

0 Copyright 1980

BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS

MANAK BHAVAN, 9 BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR MARG
NEW DELHI 110002

Gr 3 August 1980
 IS :4078- 1980

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

( First Revision )
Subsurface Exploration Sectional Committee, BDC 49
Chairman Representing
SHRI V. S. K~ISENASWA~~Y Geological Survey of India, Calcutta

Members
SHRI G. .PANT ( Altrrnatc to
Shri V. S. Krishnaswatny )
SHRI P. A. BAKSHI Gementation Co Ltd, Bombay
SHI~IH. CH~NDRASEKA~ Public Works & Electrical Department, Government
of Karnataka, Bangalore
SARI K. N. DADINA In personal capacity ( P-820, Block P, New Aliporc,
Calcutta )
SHRI K. R. DATYI” In personal capacity ( Rcham Mansion No. 244,
S. Bhagat Singh Road, Colaba, Bombay )
DIRECTOR ( CSMRS ) Central Water Commission, New Delhi
SUPERINTENDINOENQINEEB,
CH~NAB InvnaTlo~~10~
CIRCLE ( Alternate )
SRRI V. L. GORIANI Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Bombay
SHRI V. GUPTA ( Alternate )
SHRI HARBANS SINQH Irrigation Department, Government of Punjab,
Chandigarh
SHRI S. R. BUDHWAL ( Al& .sti )
SERI A. D. NARAIN Ministry of Shipping and Transport, New Delhi
SARI A. M. NERURKAR Asia Foundation & Construction ( Pvt ) Ltd, Bombay
SHRI A. N. JANQLE ( Altemat6 )
Sanr B. K. PANTEARY Hindustan Construction Co Ltd, Bombay
SHRI S. K. FOTEDAR ( Altcmats )
SHRI N. K. PILLAI Voltar Ltd, Bombay
SHRI A. N. INDURKAR ( Altnnatr )
RES~AROH OFFICER, MERI, Irrigation Department, Government of Maharashtra,
NASIK Bombay
SI~RI S. SATAPAT~I Irrigation and Power Department, Government of
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 )

Mombrrs Rgrssdding
SHRI K. R. SAXENA Engineering Research Laboratories, Hyderabad
SHRI D. P. SENQUPTA Central Building Research Institute ( CSIR ),
Roorkce
SHBI D. SRABMA ( Abut& )
SERI M. M. SHAH Public Works Department, Government of Gujarat,
Gandhinagar
SIJPERINTENDIN~ENGINE=
( GEOLOGY) ( Alkrnofr )
Soar M. K. SIN~HAL Irrigation Research Institute, Roorkce
SHBI VIJENDBA SINQH Irrigation Department, Government of Uttar
Pradesh, Lucknow
SERI D. AJITEA SIMHA, Director General, ISI ( Ex-o&cio Membrr )
Director ( Civ Engg )

Secretary

Sam K. K. SHlaYA
Deputy Director ( Civ Engg ), ISI
 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 acco-
mmod& 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 ).

5
 20 mm THICK
f

(CORE.
LOSS)

I
DUMMY
20 mm TtHCK
I

63mm

/
t--yssmm
2omm THICK

OPEN VIEW

CLOSED VIEW
NOTE l- * Indicates depths at which cores were obtained.
DH - drill hole.
&C - redgccd level,
 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:

Cma Dianu&r W%?hof Cimportment in

thr Cow Box
mm mm

547 61
42.0 48
SO.0 36

The 51’7, 42.0 and 30’0 mm corea are generally designated as NX, BX, and AX cores
rcrpectively.

Fro. 1 TYPICAL DETAILS OF CORE Box FOR 54’7 mm DIA CORE

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-cons-
truction 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
and kept in the core library. If such samples are taken, a record to that
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 core library and the
boxes after being painted and suitably captioned, should he arranged
in the racks according to the serial order and area of exploration. The
daily drill reports received from the field should also be available for
ready reference in the core library.

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

foundation investigation.

9
 BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS
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