EXPERIMENT 1 1

Unconfined compressive strength test

Purpose
The primary purpose of this test is to determine the unconfined compressive
Strength, which is then used to calculate the unconsolidated un-drained shear
Strength of the clay under unconfined conditions. According to the ASTM standard,
The unconfined compressive strength (qu) is defined as the compressive stress atwhich an
unconfined cylindrical specimen of soil will fail in a simple compressiontest. In addition, in this test,
the unconfined compressive strength is takenas the maximum load attained per unit area whichever
occurs first during the performance of a test.
ASTM D 2166 -Standard Test Method for Unconfined compressive Strength
Of Cohesive Soil
Significance:
For soils, the un-drained shear strength (SU) is necessary for the determination ofthe bearing
capacity of foundations, dams, etc. The un-drained shear strength (SU)of clays is commonly
determined from an unconfined compression test. TheUn-drained shear strength (SU) of a cohesive
soil is equal to one-half the unconfined
Compressive strength (qu) when the soil is under the ɸ = 0 condition (ɸ = the angle of
internal friction). The most critical condition on the soil usually occursimmediately after
construction, which represents un-drained conditions, when theun-drained shear strength is
basically equal to the cohesion(c). This is expressed as
SU= qu/2
Then, as time passes, the pore water in the soil slowly dissipates, and the inter-granular stress
increases, so that the drained shear strength (τ), given by τ = c’+ σ’ tan ɸ, must be used. Where σ‘=
inter-granular pressure acting perpendicular to the shear plane; c’ and ɸ’ are drained shear strength
parameters.
Equipment:
Compression device, Load and deformation dial gauges, Sample trimming
Equipment, Balance, Moisture can.
Test Procedure:
(1) Extrude the soil sample from Shelby tube sampler. Cut a soil specimen so that the ratio (L/d) is
approximately between 2 and 2.5.where L and d are the length and diameter of soil specimen,
respectively.
(2) Measure the exact diameter of the top of the specimen at three locations
120°apart, and then make the same measurements on the bottom of the specimen. Average the
measurements and record the average as the Diameter onthe data sheet.
(3) Measure the exact length of the specimen at three locations 120°apart, and then average the
measurements and record the average as the length on the data sheet.
(4) Weigh the sample and record the mass on the data sheet.
(5) Calculate the deformation (ΔL) corresponding to 15% strain (e).
Strain (e) = ΔL/Lₒ

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Where Lₒ= Original specimen length (as measured 1 in step 3) .
(6) Carefully place the specimen in the compression device and centre it on thebottom plate.
Adjust the device so that the upper plate just makes contact with thespecimen and set the load
and deformation dials to zero.
(7) apply the load so that the device produces an axial strain at a rate of 0.5% to
2.0% per minute, and then record the load and deformation dial readings on thedata sheet at
every 20 to 50divisions on deformation the dial.
(8) Keep applying the load until (1) the load (load dial) decreases on the specimensignificantly,
(2) the load holds constant for at least four deformation dial readings or (3) the deformation is
significantly past the 15% strainthat was determined in step 5.
(9) Draw a sketch to depict the sample failure.
(10) Remove the sample from the compression device and obtain a sample forwater content
determination.
Analysis:
(1) Convert the dial readings to the appropriate load and length units, and enter these values on
the data sheet in the deformation and total load columns.
(Confirm that the conversion is done correctly, particularly proving dial gagereadings conversion
into load)
(2) Compute the sample cross- sectional area
Aₒ=ᴨ/4*(D) ²
(3) Compute the strain,
/
Ɛ=ΔL Lₒ
(4) computed the corrected area,
Ac=Aₒ/ (1-Ɛ)
(5) Using A’, compute the specimen stress, s
Sc=P/Ac

Sample calculation for axial deformation of 2.6 as shown below

Step (1) Calculate the initial AO

AO=3.14.D2/4=3.14×382/4=1134mm2

Step (2) Calculate the axial strain εO

εO=Δz/HO=2.6/76=0.03421

Step (3) Calculate the corrected area AC

AC=AO/ (1-ε1) =1134/ (1-0.03421)=

Step(4) calculate the major principal stress

σ=p/AC=0.284/111

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displacement(dial displacement corrected 1
) (mm) stain area(mm²) load(dial) load(N) axial stress(KPA) shear stress(KPA)

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 0 0 0 1134 1 0 0 0 0
1136.99208
20 0.2 0.002632 4 53 0.07526 6.61922E-05 3.30961E-05
40 0.4 0.005263 1140 85 0.1207 0.000105877 5.29386E-05
1143.02387
60 0.6 0.007895 3 112 0.15904 0.00013914 6.95699E-05
80 0.8 0.010526 1146.06383 140 0.1988 0.000173463 8.67316E-05
100 1 0.013158 1149.12 161 0.22862 0.000198952 9.94761E-05
1152.19251
120 1.2 0.015789 3 179 0.25418 0.000220605 0.000110303
1155.28150
140 1.4 0.018421 1 195 0.2769 0.000239682 0.000119841
1158.38709
160 1.6 0.021053 7 212 0.30104 0.000259879 0.000129939
1161.50943
180 1.8 0.023684 4 230 0.3266 0.000281186 0.000140593
1164.64864
200 2 0.026316 9 239 0.33938 0.000291401 0.000145701
1167.80487
220 2.2 0.028947 8 241 0.34222 0.000293046 0.000146523
1170.97826
240 2.4 0.031579 1 252 0.35784 0.000305591 0.000152795
1174.16893
260 2.6 0.034211 7 200 0.284 0.000241873 0.000120937
1177.37704
280 2.8 0.036842 9 267 0.37914 0.000322021 0.00016101
300 3 0.039474 1180.60274 271 0.38482 0.000325952 0.000162976
1183.84615
320 3.2 0.042105 4 275 0.3905 0.000329857 0.000164929
1187.10743
340 3.4 0.044737 8 282 0.40044 0.000337324 0.000168662
360 3.6 0.047368 1190.38674 286 0.40612 0.000341166 0.000170583
1193.68421
380 3.8 0.05 1 291 0.41322 0.000346172 0.000173086
400 4 0.052632 1197 294 0.41748 0.000348772 0.000174386
1200.33426
420 4.2 0.055263 2 301 0.42742 0.000356084 0.000178042
1203.68715
440 4.4 0.057895 1 304 0.43168 0.000358631 0.000179316
1207.05882
460 4.6 0.060526 4 306 0.43452 0.000359982 0.000179991
1210.44943
480 4.8 0.063158 8 310 0.4402 0.000363667 0.000181833
1213.85915
500 5 0.065789 5 312 0.44304 0.000364985 0.000182492
520 5.2 0.068421 1217.28813 315 0.4473 0.000367456 0.000183728

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 6 1
1220.73654
540 5.4 0.071053 4 313 0.44446 0.000364092 0.000182046
1224.20454
560 5.6 0.073684 5 310 0.4402 0.00035958 0.00017979
1227.69230
580 5.8 0.076316 8 306 0.43452 0.000353932 0.000176966

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