1. An unconsolidated undrained test was conducted on a saturated clay.

The cell pressure

was 200 kPa and failure occurred under a deviatoric stress of 220 kPa.

1. Determine the angle of shearing resistance.

Restistance=0°
2. Determine the maximum principal stress at failure.
Max principal stress at failure=200+220=420 kPa
3. Determine the undrained shear strength.
220
C u= =110
2
2. During an unconsolidated-undrained tri-axial test on a clayey soil specimen, the minor and major
principal stresses at failure were 100 kPa and 180 kPa respectively.

1. Find the angle of friction for the unconsolidated tri-axial test.

∅=0°
2. Find the cohesion for the similar specimen if subjected to an unconfined
compression test.
2 r=180−100
2 r=40
r =40
C u=40 kPa
3. What will be the axial stress at failure if a similar specimen is subjected to an
unconfined compression test?
σ 1 =80 kPa

3. A clay soil is subjected to a tri-axial test under unconsolidated-undrained conditions. At failure,

the major and minor principal stresses are 140 kPa and 50 kPa respectively.

1. Determine the cohesion of this soil.

Cohesion of soil=c
c=45 kPa
 2. If this soil were subjected to an unconfined compression test, what axial stress would
result at failure?
q u=2 ( 45 )
q u=90 kPa
3. What is the magnitude of the shearing stress at a depth of 3 m. below the ground surface?
Unit wt. of soil is 15 kN/m3.
τ =c +σtanθ=45+0=45 kPa

4. Soil samples were taken from different parts of the site. Three sets of tr-axial tests were
conducted. Soil tests on sample A were performed using unconsolidated undrained soil test.

Test Confining Pressure Total Axial stress at Failure

1 0 kPa 60 kPa

2 50 kPa 110 kPa

3 100 kPa 150 kPa

1. Compute the friction angle.

Angle of friction=0 °
2. Compute the undrained cohesion of the soil.
C u=30 kPa
3. Compute the plasticity index of the soil if the corrected undrained
cohesion of the soil is 26 kPa.
C=( 1.7−0.54 logP . I . ) Cu
26=( 1.7−0.54 logP . I ) ( 30 )
0.833=0.54 logP . I .
P . I .=34.88

5. A tri-axial test was performed on a clayey soil under unconsolidated undrained conditions. The
major and minor stresses at a failure were 144 and 48 kN/m2 respectively.
 1. Find the angle of friction of this soil
Angle of friction=0 °
2. Find the cohesion of this soil.
c=48 kPa
3. If an unconfined compression test was performed on the same clayey soil, what axial
stress can be expected at failure in kN/m2.
kN
Axial stress at failure=96
m2

6. The major and minor principal stresses are acting at a point in a stressed material are 80
kPa compression and 20 kPa tension.

1. What is the max. shear stress acting at the point?

2 r=100
r =50 kPa
2. What value of normal stress acts on the plane?
σ N =80−50=30 kPa
3. Determine the value of the shear stress acting on a plane that is 30°
counterclockwise from the major principal plane.
τ =50 sin 60° =43.3 kPa
4. Determine the normal stress acting on a plane that is 30° counterclockwise from the
major principal plane.
σ N =30+50 cos 60 °=55 kPa
PROBLEM 7:
At a point in a stressed material, the stress combination acting on a plane is 60 kPa compression
and 20 kPa shear, while on an orthogonal plane the stress combination is 40 kPa tension and 20
kPa shear.

1. Determine the major principal stress.

R2= (20 )2+ (50 )2=53.85
Max . principal stress=10+53.85
Max . principal stress=63.85 kPa(compression)
 2. Determine the minor principal stress.
Minor principal stress=53.85−10
Minor principal stress=43.85 kPa
3. Determine the max. shear stress.
Max . shear stress=53.85 kPa
4. Determine the normal stress of max. shear
Normal stress of max shear=10 kPa
PROBLEM 8:
At a point in a stressed material, the major principal stress is 5000 psf compression and the minor
principal stress is 2000 psf compression.

1. Compute the max. shear stress acting on the same plane.

2 r=5000−2000
r =1500 psf (max . shear )
2. Compute the value of normal stress acting on the same plane.
Normal stress=σ N
σ N =2000+1500
σ N =3500 psf .
3. Compute the normal stress acting on a plane that is 60° counterclockwise from the
major principal plane.
σ N =3500−1500 cos 60 °
σ N =2750 psf .
4. Compute the shear stress acting on a plane that is 60° counterclockwise
from the major principal plane.
τ =1500 sin 60°
τ =1299 psf
PROBLEM 9:
The soil in a deposit underlying an area where a level ground surface exists has a saturated unit weight of
21 kPa. The ground water table is at the soil surface.

1. Determine the principal stresses for the total stress condition at a depth of 5 m.
below the soil surface if the lateral pressure is one half the vertical pressure.
 σ 1 =21 ( 5 )=105 kPa
σ 3 =0.5 ( 105 )
σ 3 =52.5 kPa
2. Determine the principal stresses for the effective stress condition at the same 5
m. depth.
σ 1 =( 21−9.81 ) ( 5 )=55.95 kPa
σ 3 =0.5 ( 55.95 )
σ 3 =27.975 kPa
3. Determine the max. shear stress for the effective stress condition at the same 5
m. depth.
2 r=55.95−27.975
r =13.99 kPa(max . shear)
PROBLEM 10:
A cylindrical specimen of a saturated soil fails under a stress of 150 kPa. in an unconfined compression
test. The failure plane makes an angle of 52° with the horizontal.

1. Compute the angle of internal friction of the soil.

∅
θ=45+
2
∅
52 °=45+
2
∅=14 °
2. Compute the cohesion of the soil.
∅ ∅
(
σ 1 =σ 3 tan 2 45+
2) (
+2 ctan 45+
2 )
150=0+2 ctan52 °
c=58.6 kPa
3. Compute the shearing stress at the failure plane.
τ =rcos ∅=75 cos 14 °
τ =72.77 kPa
PROBLEM 11:
A cylindrical specimen of saturated clay 4.5 cm. in diameter and 9 cm. long is tested in an unconfined
compression apparatus.

1. Find the cohesion of the specimen fails at an axial load of 45 kg. The change in
length of the specimen at failure is 9 mm.
π A 9 15.90
Ao = ( 4.5 )2=15.90 A= o ε = =0.10 A=
4 1−ε 90 1−0.10

A=17.67 c m 2
2. Find the angle of friction.
Angle of friction=0 °
3. Compute the angle of inclination of the failure plane from the horizontal.
∅
θ=45+ =45+ 0=45 °
2
θ=45 °
PROBLEM 12:
In an unconfined compression test, a sample of sandy clay 8 cm. long and 4 cm. diameter fails under a
load of 12 kg at 10% strain.
1. Compute the angle of friction.
Angle of friction=0 °
2. Compute the axial stress at failure taking into account the effect of change in cross
section of sample.
π 2
P (4 ) 12
σ1= Ao 4 2σ 1 =
A A= = =13.96 c m 13.96
1−ε 1−0.10
kg
σ 1 =0.86
c m2

3. Compute the shearing resistance taking into account the effect of change in cross
section of sample.
1
τ = ( 0.86 )
2
kg
τ =0.43
c m2
PROBLEM 13:
The friction angle ∅ of a normally consolidated clay specimen collected during field exploration was
determine from drained axial test to be 22°. The unconfined compression strength qu of a similar
specimen was found to be 120 kPa.

1. Determine the pore pressure at failure for the unconfined compression test.
q u 120 60
c= = =60 sin 22 °= 0.3476 x=22.476=60x=100.20 kPa
2 2 x +60
Pore pressure=100.20 kPa
2. Compute the angle of friction for the unconfined compression test.
Angle of friction=0 °
3. Compute the cohesion of soil at the unconfined compression test.
c=60 kPa
PROBLEM 14:
An unconfined compression test was carried out on a saturated clay sample. The maximum load on the
clay sustained was 130 N. The size of the soil sample was 38 mm. diameter and 80 mm. long. The
resulting undrained shear strength of clay was 56.4 kPa.
1. Compute the major principal stress at failure.
C=56.4σ =2 Cσ =2 (56.4 )
σ =112.8 kPa

2. Compute the sample area at failure in m2.

P 0.130
σ = 112.8= A=0.00115 kPa
A A
3. Compute the vertical displacement of the soil sample in mm
Ao 0.0011341 δ δ
A= 1−ε= A o Ao =0.00113411−ε= ε =0.01554 ε = 0.01554=
1−ε 0001152 L 80
δ =1.24 mm

PROBLEM 15:
An unconfined compression test was carried out on a saturated clay sample. The maximum load the clay
sustained was 127 N and vertical displacement was 0.8 mm. The size of the sample was 38 mm. diameter
and 76 mm. long.
 1. Determine the sample area at failure.

π ( 0.038 )2 0.8 A
Ao = =0.00113 m 2ε = =0.01 A= o = 0.00113
4 76 1−ε 1−0.01
A=0.00114 m2
2. Determine the major principal stress at failure.
P 127 N
σ= = =111404 2
A 0.00114 m
σ =111.40 kPa
3. Determine the undrained shear strength.

1
C= ( 111.40 )
2
C=55.70 kPa