In exploration programs for coal mining, geophysical logging of boreholes is mainly undertaken to reveal seam locations and the basic lithological section. Through the introduction of the Geophysical Strata Rating (GSR), this paper develops new geotechnical applications for geophysical logs. The GSR is an empirical rating scheme based on P-wave velocity data from sonic logs and estimates of the clay content and porosity derived from natural gamma and density logs. In coal measure strata, GSR values range between 0 and 100, with values of <15 indicating very poor rock and values over 80 representing extremely good rock. Given that geophysical logging data are obtained at closely spaced intervals within boreholes and that coal measure strata are usually laterally persistent between boreholes, geophysical results such as the clay content and the GSR can be modelled in two- and three-dimensions. This allows geotechnical information to be viewed in a geological context. Examples are provided of the log analysis and modelling. Geotechnical applications in risk identification, hazard assessment and design optimisation are also discussed. These applications exist in both underground and open cut mining. Crown Copyright (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.