The BS 5930 Soil Description Checker validates a single geological description against BS 5930:2015+A1:2020 - the UK code of practice for ground investigations. Paste a description like 'Firm brown slightly sandy CLAY' and get instant feedback on whether it conforms to the standard.
The checker runs 25+ validation rules covering modifier order, invalid soil combinations, consistency and density terms, angularity, colour, secondary proportions, strength terms, weathering grades, and more. Each issue is classified as an error, warning, or info with a clear explanation.
How to use Type or paste a geological description into the input field and click 'Check description' or press Enter. The tool sends the description to the validation engine and displays any issues found. A green 'Valid' badge means the description conforms to BS 5930. Red or amber badges indicate errors or warnings that should be reviewed.
What it checks The checker validates against 25+ rules based on BS 5930:2015+A1:2020 including: modifier word order (e.g. consistency before colour before secondary constituents), invalid self-referencing combinations (e.g. 'clayey CLAY'), correct use of consistency terms on fine soils and density terms on coarse soils, missing angularity on gravel, invalid colour terms, secondary proportion terms vs PSD data, rock strength terms vs UCS, weathering grades, bedding and discontinuity spacing, and made ground indicators.
Limitations This tool checks individual descriptions in isolation. It cannot cross-reference against PSD data, SPT results, or other test data - use the AGS Description Validator for full file-level checking.
The rules cover BS 5930:2015+A1:2020 for soil descriptions. Full rock description checking is planned for a future release.
Some rules are marked as beta and may have edge cases. Results are advisory - engineering judgment should always take priority. If you find an incorrect result, please let us know.
Revision history 7 April 2026: Initial release - validates single descriptions against 25+ BS 5930 rules.
Disclaimer This tool is provided for educational and general information purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional engineering advice, design or verification.
Diggy and its contributors are not licensed engineering consultants and no results generated by this tool should be used directly for construction, design or safety-critical decisions.
All values and outputs are based on published empirical correlations and should be independently checked and confirmed by a qualified geotechnical engineer before use.
By using this tool, you accept full responsibility for how you interpret and apply the information provided.
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