GEF-SIEVE - An exchange format for particle size analysis
The exchange of data resulting from particle size analyses is not difficult when only two parties are involved. In such a case a spreadsheet is the most used digital format, while the format used is agreed upon between the producer of the data and the end user. However when data stem from more sources, each having a different standard, the risk of mistakes in transfer and the necessary conversions, is real. In the series of exchange formats based on the Geotechnical Exchange Format (GEF) and realized under the auspices of CUR (Centrum voor Uitvoering en Regelgeving) a further format has been added to facilitate the exchange of geotechnical data.
GEF-SIEVE-Report and GEF-MULTISIEVE-Report
As a rule of thumb a file contains just the data of one analysis. However, a borehole may spawn a series of particle size analyses. In order to include many data in one file (to prevent the necessity to create a very large number of separate files) the possibility has been created to incorporate the results of more than one sample in one file: GEF-MULTISIEVE-Report. A concept of this report has been circulated amongst the group of possible users of the format, producers as well as end users. Comments from this consultation round have been included in this version.
In order to turn the format into a real intermediate it is expected that software, existing but certainly newly developed, will include the possibility to use this format as input as well as output format for particle size data. The freely available gef2.dll makes reading a GEF file quite easy. The new standard is described in detail in the GEF-SIEVE-REPORT document.
Example of a particle size distribution.
