A method for characterizing properties of a manufactured rock sample, comprising: a) providing a first test apparatus including a sample holder and associated upstream and downstream reservoirs each associated with at least one pressure sensor, wherein the sample holder is configured to contain the manufactured rock sample under pressurized confinement and allows for a pulse of test fluid to flow through the manufactured rock sample contained within the sample holder, and wherein the pressure sensors of the first test apparatus are configured to measure pressure of the upstream and downstream reservoirs as the pulse of test fluid flows through the manufactured rock sample contained within the sample holder; b) using the first test apparatus with the manufactured rock sample loaded within the sample holder to characterize bulk properties of the manufactured rock sample; characterized by c) dividing the manufactured rock sample into a number of pieces of different sizes; d) partitioning the pieces of the manufactured rock sample resulting from c) into size-groups of different sizes; e) performing a sequence of operations for each given size-group of the pieces resulting from d), wherein the sequence of operations of e) includes e1) loading the one or more pieces of the given size-group into the sample holder, e2) subsequent to e1), configuring the first test apparatus to perform a sequence of test operations whereby the loaded sample holder is filled with test fluid under pressure and isolated from other parts of the test apparatus and the pressure sensors are used to measure and store pressure data that represents pressures measured by the pressure sensor over time, e3) using a data processing system to process the pressure data generated and stored in e2) in conjunction with a computational model that includes a set of pressure curves with a number of curve-related variables and associated values in order to identify a matching pressure curve, and e4) using the data processing system to process the values of the curve-related variables for the matching pressure curve identified in e3) in order to derive properties of the given size-group of pieces. a) providing a first test apparatus including a sample holder and associated upstream and downstream reservoirs each associated with at least one pressure sensor, wherein the sample holder is configured to contain the manufactured rock sample under pressurized confinement and allows for a pulse of test fluid to flow through the manufactured rock sample contained within the sample holder, and wherein the pressure sensors of the first test apparatus are configured to measure pressure of the upstream and downstream reservoirs as the pulse of test fluid flows through the manufactured rock sample contained within the sample holder; b) using the first test apparatus with the manufactured rock sample loaded within the sample holder to characterize bulk properties of the manufactured rock sample; characterized by c) dividing the manufactured rock sample into a number of pieces of different sizes; d) partitioning the pieces of the manufactured rock sample resulting from c) into size-groups of different sizes; e) performing a sequence of operations for each given size-group of the pieces resulting from d), wherein the sequence of operations of e) includes e1) loading the one or more pieces of the given size-group into the sample holder, e2) subsequent to e1), configuring the first test apparatus to perform a sequence of test operations whereby the loaded sample holder is filled with test fluid under pressure and isolated from other parts of the test apparatus and the pressure sensors are used to measure and store pressure data that represents pressures measured by the pressure sensor over time, e3) using a data processing system to process the pressure data generated and stored in e2) in conjunction with a computational model that includes a set of pressure curves with a number of curve-related variables and associated values in order to identify a matching pressure curve, and e4) using the data processing system to process the values of the curve-related variables for the matching pressure curve identified in e3) in order to derive properties of the given size-group of pieces. e1) loading the one or more pieces of the given size-group into the sample holder, e2) subsequent to e1), configuring the first test apparatus to perform a sequence of test operations whereby the loaded sample holder is filled with test fluid under pressure and isolated from other parts of the test apparatus and the pressure sensors are used to measure and store pressure data that represents pressures measured by the pressure sensor over time, e3) using a data processing system to process the pressure data generated and stored in e2) in conjunction with a computational model that includes a set of pressure curves with a number of curve-related variables and associated values in order to identify a matching pressure curve, and e4) using the data processing system to process the values of the curve-related variables for the matching pressure curve identified in e3) in order to derive properties of the given size-group of pieces.