The material strength of sandstones of the Sherwood Sandstone Group of north Staffordshire with reference to microfabric

Sherwood Sandstone exhibits a wide and uncertain range of engineering behaviour. Laboratory test results are presented and show that the material may range from sand to moderately weak rock. Microfabric analysis suggests that depositional and diagenetic processes have as much an influence on this variability as does weathering. A means of estimating the material shear strength of the weakest zones of Sherwood Sandstone is proposed.