Vane shear test The vane shear test is more applicable to field conditions than to laboratory. However, the laboratory vane shear test has a useful application where satisfactory undisturbed tube samples of very soft clays and silts have been obtained, but it becomes impossible to prepare Specimens from the tubes, because of their softness for the triaxial or unconfined compression test. A laboratory vane consists of four blades mounted on a rod as shown in Fig, 2.20, The tod is pushed into a chunk of soil contained in a large mould. The rotating motion is imparted to the vane by means of a disc (not shown) at the top of the rod with the arrangement of measuring the torque. The value of shear strength of soil, S is obtained using the following | formula: wv» (2.67) where applied torque, D = width of blade (Fig, 2.20), and H = height of blade (Fig, 2.20). In situ vane shear test is often used for determining the sensitivity of clay. Initially, the Torque rod Metal blades WW EIR Fig. 2.20. Vane Shear. soil is undisturbed and the shear Strength corresponds to the undisturbed state. When the vane has remoulded the soil, the resistance offered by it corresponds to the remoulded state,