CEng 143: Geotechnical Engineering

Assign.7: Shear Strength of Soil (Triaxial Test)

1. In a triaxial test, a specimen of saturated (normally consolidated) clay was consolidated under a
chamber confining pressure of 85 KPa. The axial stress on the specimen was then increased
allowing the drainage from the specimen. The specimen fails when the pressure was 125 kPa. The
pore water pressure at that time was 55 kPa. What is the consolidated undrained friction angle?

2. In a triaxial test, a specimen of saturated (normally consolidated) clay was consolidated under a
chamber confining pressure of 98 kPa. The axial stress on the specimen was then increased
allowing the drainage from the specimen. The specimen fails when the deviator stress is 68 kPa.
The pore water pressure at that time was 45 kPa. What is the consolidated drained friction angle?

3. The results of a consolidated –drained triaxial test conducted on normally consolidated clay, are as
follows:
Chamber confining stress = 260 kPa
Deviator stress at failure = 350 kPa

Calculate (a) the angle of friction of the soil sample; (b) the shear stress on the failure plane; and (c)
the effective normal stress on the plane of maximum shear.

4. A consolidated undrained compression test was conducted on a saturated clay soil by isotropically
consolidating the soil using a cell pressure of 170 kPa and then incrementally applying loads on the
plunger while keeping the cell pressure constant. Failure was observed when the stress exerted by
the plunger (deviator stress) was 180 kPa and the pore water pressure recorded was 74 kPa.
Determine (a) the undrained shear strength of the clay; (b) the undrained friction angle; and (c) the
drained friction angle.

5. In a triaxial test for a soil sample, the soil fails along a plane making an angle of 60o with the
horizontal when the principal stresses are 290 kPa and 60 kPa. What is the cohesion of the soil?