STUDENT CODE OF ETHIC

(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 : …………………………………………
 FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 1/10
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT
3/01/12
DATE:

1.0 OBJECTIVE
To determine the shear strength parameters of the soil such as cohesion, C and friction angle, 

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of this experiment, students are able to:
 Perform the direct shear test efficiently.
 Determine the shear strength parameter of the soil

3.0 THEORY

The general relationship between maximum shearing resistance, Շf and normal stress, σn for soils can
be represented by the equation and known as Coulomb’s Law:

 f  c   tan 
where: c = cohesion, which is due to internal forces holding soil particles together in a solid mass
 = friction, which is due to the interlocking of the particles and the friction between them
when subjected to normal stress

The friction components increase with increasing normal stress, but the cohesion components remains
constant. If there is no normal stress the friction disappears. This relationship is shown in the graph
below. The graph generally approximates to a straight line, its inclination to the horizontal axis being
equal to the angle of shearing resistance of the soil,  and its intercept on the vertical (shear stress)
axis being the apparent cohesion, denoted by c.
 FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 2/10
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT
3/01/12
DATE:

4.0 TEST EQUIPMENTS

1. Shear box carriage

2. Loading pad
3. Perforated plate
4. Porous plate
5. Retaining plate
 FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 3/10
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT
3/01/12
DATE:

5.0 PROCEDURES

1. Verify internal measurement using vernier calipers. The length of the sides, L and the overall
depth, B.
2. Fix base plate inside the shear box. Then put the porous plate on the base plate. Fit perforated
grid plate over porous so that the grid plates should be at right angles to the direction shear.

3. Fix two halves of the shear box by means of fixing screws

4. For cohesive soils, transfer the soil sample from square specimen cutter to the shearbox by
pressing down on the top grid plate. For sandy soil, compact soil in layers to the required
density in shear box
5. Mount the shear box assembly on the loading frame
6. Set the dial of the proving ring to zero
7. Place the loading yoke on the loading pad and carefully lift the hanger onto the top of the
loading yoke.
8. Apply the correct loading to the hanger pad.
9. Carefully remove the screws clamping the upper half to the lower half
10. Conduct the test by applying horizontal shear load to failure. Rate strain should be 0.2mm/min
11. Record readings of horizontal and force dial gauges at regular intervals.
12. Conduct test on three identical soil samples under different vertical compressive stresses,
1.75kg, 2.5kg and 3.25kg
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DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT
3/01/12
DATE:

6.0 CALCULATION EXAMPLE

Specimen No.: 1
Loading : 1.75kg

Proving Ring
Displacement
Shear Stress
Strain
Load, P (kN) (kN/m2)
Dial Gauge ΔL (mm) Dial Gauge
20 0.04 34 0.2975 82.64 0.00067
40 55
60 67
80 76
100 85
120 93
140 100
160 105
180 110
200 116
220 120
240 125
260 127
280 131
300 135
320 137
340 140
360 141
380 144
400 146
420 148
440 150
460 151
480 154
500 156
520 157
540 158
560 159
580 160
600 161
620 162
640 162
660 162
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DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT
3/01/12
DATE:

- Strain ( 20 mm dial gauge reading) :

Dail gauge  0.002


Total length

20  0.002

60

 0.00067

- Shear Stress (20mm dial gauge reading):

Dail gauge  0.00875


Area

34  0.0875

0.06  0.06

 82.64 kN / m 2
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DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE 3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT 3/01/12
DATE:

7.0 RESULT AND CALCULATIONS

Specimen No.:
Loading :

Displacement Proving Ring

Shear Stress
Strain,  (%)
Dial Gauge ΔL (mm) Dial Gauge Load, P (kN) (kN/m2)
 FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 7/10
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE 3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT 3/01/12
DATE:

Specimen No.:
Loading :

Displacement Proving Ring

Shear Stress
Strain,  (%)
Dial Gauge ΔL (mm) Dial Gauge Load, P (kN) (kN/m2)
 FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 8/10
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE 3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT 3/01/12
DATE:

Specimen No.:
Loading :

Displacement Proving Ring

Shear Stress
Strain,  (%)
Dial Gauge ΔL (mm) Dial Gauge Load, P (kN) (kN/m2)

- Plot graph Shear Stress (kN/m2) versus Strain

- Plot graph Shear Stress versus Normal Stress
- Find c and  value
 FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 9/10
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE 3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT 3/01/12
DATE:

8.0 DISCUSSION

9.0 CONCLUSION
 FACULT : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 10/10
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE 3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT 3/01/12
DATE:

10.0 QUESTIONS AND ANSWER

QUESTION 1
a. Why perforated plate in this test has a tooth?
b. What is the maximum value of displacement before terminating the test?

QUESTION 2
a. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a direct shear test?
b. Why do we use fixing screws in this test? What will happen if you do not remove them
during the test?

ANSWERS