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Unconfined Compression Tests PDF
Unconfined Compression Tests PDF
(SCE)
DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND GEOMATIC ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
I, hereby confess that I have prepared this report on my own effort. I also admit not
to receive or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge
that everything mentioned in the report is true.
_________________
Student Signature
Name
Matric No. :
Date
PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:
1/5
3/1/2012
3/1/2012
3.0 THEORY
The unconfined compression test is a special type of unconsolidated undrained test that is
commonly used for clay specimens. In this test, the confining pressure, 3 is 0. An axial load is rapidly
applied to the specimens to cause failure. At failure, the total minor principal stress, 3 is zero and the
total major principal stress is 1. Because the undrained shear strength is independent of the confining
pressure, so
1 q u
cu
2
2
The unconfined compression strength can be correlate with the consistencies of clays as shown
in Table 1.
qu (kN/m2)
0 - 25
25 50
50 100
100 200
200 400
>400
PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:
2/5
3/1/2012
3/1/2012
6.0 PROCEDURES
1. Measure the initial length and diameter of the soil specimen.
2. Place the specimen on the base plate of the load frame (sandwiched between the end plates)
3. Place a hardened steel ball on the bearing plate. Adjust the centerline of specimen such that the
proving ring and the steel ball are in the same line.
4. Fix dial gauge to measure vertical compression of the specimen.
5. Adjust gear position on the load frame to give suitable vertical displacement.
6. Set the reading of proving ring and dial gauge to zero.
7. Start applying the load and record the readings of the proving ring dial and strain dial for every 0.2 mm
8. Continue loading till failure occurs or 20% vertical deformation is reached (15 mm compression of a 38
mm diameter specimen).
9. Sketch the failure pattern; measure the angle between the cracks and the horizontal if possible.
PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:
3/5
3/1/2012
3/1/2012
unit
mm
mm
mm2
g
m3
kN/m3
%
kN/m3
Specimen 1
Specimen 2
Specimen 3
Sample
deformation
, L (mm)
Axial strain,
= L/Lo x
100 (%)
Corrected area,
Ac = (Ao/1-)
(m2)
Axial
load, kN
Compressive
stress (kN/m2)
PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:
4/5
3/1/2012
3/1/2012
Specimen 2
Strain dial
reading
(div.)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
950
1000
1100
1200
1300
Proving
ring reading
(div.)
Sample
deformation
, L (mm)
Axial strain,
= L/Lo x
100 (%)
Corrected area,
Ac = (Ao/1-)
(m2)
Axial
load, kN
Compressive
stress (kN/m2)
PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
DATE:
AMENDMENT
DATE:
5/5
3/1/2012
3/1/2012
Specimen 3
Strain dial
reading
(div.)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
950
1000
1100
1200
1300
Proving
ring reading
(div.)
Sample
deformation
, L (mm)
Axial strain,
= L/Lo x
100 (%)
Corrected area,
Ac = (Ao/1-)
(m2)
Axial
load, kN
10.0
CONCLUSION
qu
= ___________ kN/m2
2
Compressive
stress (kN/m2)