The problem of quality control and selection of armourstone

Abstract The successful use of naturally occurring rock as an armourstone depends on the selection of suitable material which will perform the function for which it was designed. Two recent case histories of coast protection works with a combined total of about 200 000 tonnes of rock armour demonstrates that adequate quality and selection control procedures were not utilized and as a result substantial quantities of rock were rejected, and in one case costly arbitration procedures were involved. In each case the contractor for the works was responsible for the provision of armourstone in compliance with the specification and had simple engineering geological controls been used substantial savings could have been made.