Lumber Moisture Content Grade Lumber moisture grading is a manufacturer-provided value of moisture content, for consumers and contractors to use. There are five (5) lumber moisture content designations (S-GRN, S-DRY, KD, MC 15, and HT). Lumber Moisture Grading Lumber grade “S-GRN” stands for “surface green,” which means it is not dry, and has a moisture…

Hardpan (Caliche) “Hardpan” is a highly dense and solid layer of soil near the ground surface, which is usually comprised of clay or silty-clay soils. Hardpan forms by cementation over time, during the process of precipitation of insoluble substances such as calcium carbonates, silica, iron oxides, and other organic matter. “Hardpan” is a term mostly…

Mesosphere Mesosphere: The mesosphere of a terrestrial planet is the third member of the atmosphere. On Earth, the mesosphere starts atop the stratosphere at approximately 50 kilometers above mean sea level and terminates roughly 85 kilometers above mean sea level. The mesosphere is where most meteors burn to determination. Like the stratosphere, the air in…

Rock Stratigraphic Unit In the field of geology, a rock stratigraphic unit, or a lithostratigraphic unit, is a geologic formation that is identifiable by a specific lithology, as well as a consistent stratigraphic position. For example, the Monterey Formation is a rock stratigraphic unit, as it tends to consistently comprise the same gravel and sand…

Growth Fault Growth Fault: In geology, a growth fault is a strike-slip fault or dip-slip fault that moves contemporaneously with deposition. This causes the throw (amount of vertical displacement) to increase with depth and the strata to be thicker on the downthrown side as compared to the upthrown side.

Consistency The term “Consistency” in the fields of engineering geology and geotechnical engineering means the degree of adhesion between soil particles within a sample, that are observed to resist deformation or rupture.