M.M.

Murtada sabih Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Direct Shear Test of Soils

Purpose:
This test is performed to determine the consolidated-drained shear strength of
a sandy to silty soil. The shear strength is one of the most important engineering
properties of a soil, because it is required whenever a structure is dependent on the
soil’s shearing resistance. The shear strength is needed for engineering situations
such as determining the stability of slopes or cuts, finding the bearing capacity for
foundations, and calculating the pressure exerted by a soil on a retaining wall.
Standard Reference:
ASTM D 3080 - Standard Test Method for Direct Shear Test of Soils Under
Consolidated Drained Conditions
Significance:
The direct shear test is one of the oldest strength tests for soils. In this
laboratory, a direct shear device will be used to determine the shear strength of a
cohesionless soil (i.e. angle of internal friction (Φ)). From the plot of the shear stress
versus the horizontal displacement, the maximum shear stress is obtained for a
specific vertical confining stress. After the experiment is run several times for
various vertical-confining stresses, a plot of the maxi mum shear stresses versus the
vertical (normal) confining stresses for each of the tests is produced.

6. Apparatus
6.1 Shear Device
6.2 Shear Box, a shear box, either circular or square, made of stainless steel
6.4 Loading Devices
6.4.1 Device for Applying the Normal Force—The normal force is typically applied
by dead weights.
6.4.2 Device for Shearing the Specimen—The device shall be capable of shearing
the specimen at a uniform rate of displacement.
6.5 Normal Force Measurement Device—A proving ring or load cell.
6.6 Shear Force Measurement Device—A proving ring or load cell accurate to 0.5
lbf (2.5 N), or 1 percent of the shear force at failure, whichever is greater.
6.7 Deformation Indicators—Either dial gauges or displacement transducers capable
of measuring the change in thickness (normal displacement) of the specimen, with a
readability of at least 0.0001 in. [0.002 mm] and to measure relative lateral
displacement.

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M.M. Murtada sabih Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Test Procedure:
(1) Weigh the initial mass of soil in the pan.
‫وزن العينة قبل االستعمال‬
(2) Measure the diameter and height of the shear box.
)‫قيس قطر اسطوانة القص مع االرتفاع(اذا كان مربع قس ابعادة‬
(3) Carefully assemble the shear box and place it in the direct shear device. Then
place a porous stone and a filter paper in the shear box.
(4) Place the sand into the shear box and level off the top. Place a filter paper, a
porous stone, and a top plate (with ball) on top of the sand
(5) Remove the large alignment screws from the shear box, Open the gap between
the shear box halves to approximately 0.025 in. using the gap screws, and then back
out the gap screws.
(6) Weigh the pan of soil again and compute the mass of soil used.
‫وزن العينة المتبقية لحساب كمية التربة الداخلة بالفحص لغرض فحص الكثافة‬
(7) Complete the assembly of the direct shear device and initialize the three gauges
(Horizontal displacement gage, vertical displacement gage and shear load gage) to
zero.
‫قوم بتجهيز المقاييس الثالثة وتصفيرها وهم مقياس االزاحة االفقية ومقياس االزاحة الراسية ومقياس الحمل‬
.)‫االفقي(بعض االجهزة الحديثة يكون الحمل االفقي يظهر على على شاشة رقمية وبتالي اليحتاج كيج‬
(8) Set the vertical load (or pressure) to a predetermined value, and then close
bleeder valve and apply the load to the soil specimen by raising the toggle switch.
‫ كيلوغرام‬2 ‫في هذة الخطوة ثبت مقدار الحمل الراسي على رقم معين مثال‬
(9) Start the motor with selected speed so that the rate of shearing is at a selected
constant rate, and take the horizontal displacement gauge, vertical displacement gage
and shear load gage readings. Record the readings on the data sheet. (Note: Record
the vertical displacement gage readings, if needed).
‫شغل المحرك بسرعة محددة بحيث يكون حمل القص ثابت وسجل قراءات حمل القص واالزاحات االفقية‬
.)‫والعمودية (في هذة التجربة نحتاج حمل القص واالزاحة االفقية‬
(10) Continue taking readings until the horizontal shear load peaks and then falls, or
the horizontal displacement reaches 15% of the diameter.
‫ من القطر او اذا كان الجهاز‬%15 ‫استمر باخذ القراءات لحين انخفاض حمل القص او االزاحة االفقية تصل‬
.‫مزود بشاشة قادرة على تسجيل اقصى حمل عندها خذ ذلك الحمل‬
Analysis:
(1) Calculate the density of the soil sample from the mass of soil and volume of
the shear box.
(2) Convert the dial readings to the appropriate length and load units and enter the
values on the data sheet in the correct locations. Compute the sample area A, and
the vertical (Normal) stress sv.

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‫‪M.M. Murtada sabih‬‬ ‫‪Soil Mechanics Laboratory‬‬

‫𝑣𝑁‬
‫= 𝑣𝑆‬
‫𝐴‬

‫‪Where: Nv = normal vertical force, and sv = normal vertical stress‬‬

‫‪(3) Calculate shear stress (T) using‬‬

‫‪𝐹ℎ‬‬
‫=𝑇‬
‫𝐴‬
‫)‪Where Fh= shear force (measured with shear load gage‬‬
‫‪(4) Plot the horizontal shear stress (t) versus horizontal (lateral) displacement.‬‬
‫‪(5) Calculate the maximum shear stress for each test‬‬
‫‪(6) Plot the value of the maximum shear stress versus the corresponding vertical‬‬
‫‪stress for each test , and determine the angle of internal friction (Φ) from the slope‬‬
‫‪of the approximated Mohr-Coulomb failure envelope.‬‬

‫ملخص التجربة‪:‬‬
‫‪-1‬يتم اخذ ‪ 3‬عينات وتكون كل عينة تربة رملية جافة(ممكن ان تكون العينات تربة طينية رطبة)‪.‬‬
‫‪-2‬توضع كل عينة في صندوق القص (شكل الصندوق اما مربع او دائري) وترص العينة دخل صندوق‬
‫القص‪.‬‬
‫‪-3‬يتم تحميل العينة ب اثنان من االحمال اوال تحمل بحمل ثابت عمودي يسمى نورمل فورس والثاني حمل‬
‫افقي يسمى شير فورس‪....‬الحمل االفقي يكون متغير والعمودي ثابت‪.‬‬
‫‪-4‬ناخذ قراءة الحمل االفقي من شاشة الجهاز وكذلك االزاحة االفقية من دايل كيج اما الحمل العمودي يكون‬
‫ثابت‪.‬‬
‫‪-5‬نحسب اكبر قص لحين فشل العينة ونسجلة ونسجل القوة العمودية ونسجل اكبر ازاحة افقية‪.‬‬
‫‪-6‬نحسب اجهاد القص االكبر مع االزاحة االفقية ثم نرسم عالقة بين االجهاد العمودي وكذلك االجهاد االفقي‬
‫لحساب زاوية االحتكاك الداخلي‪.‬‬
‫‪-7‬يتم اخذ وزن العينة الجافة لحساب الكثافة الجافة بقسمة الوزن الجاف على حجم وعاء القص‪.‬‬
‫مالحظة‪ :‬المثال ادناة ثالثة عينات تم حساب اكبر قوة قص مع االجهاد العمودي المسلط لكل عينة ثم حساب‬
‫زاوية االحتكاك الداخلي للعينات الثالثة مع بعض من الرسم‪:‬‬
‫مالحظة‪ :‬المثال ادناه صندوق القص دائري الشكل (عند حساب الحجم نحسب "حجم اسطوانة" نحتاج الحجم‬
‫في حساب الكثافة ونحتاج المساحة "لصندوق القص" لحساب االجهاد العمودي الثابت وكذلك االفقي‬
‫المتغير)‪.‬‬
‫‪Example :‬‬
‫‪Shear Box Inside Diameter: 6.3 cm‬‬
‫‪Area (A): 31.17 cm2 = 4.83 in2‬‬
‫‪Shear Box Height: 4.9 cm‬‬
‫‪Soil Volume: 119.9 cm3‬‬
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M.M. Murtada sabih Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Initial mass of soil and pan: 1000. g

Final mass of soil and pan: 720.82 cm
Mass of soil: 279.18 g
Density of soil (?): 1.65 g/cm3

shear box inside diameter=6.3cm

area= 31.17cm2
soil volume =119.9cm3
mass of soil =279.18
density of soil 1.65 g/cm3

normal stress =0.156kg/cm2)

horizontal dial reading(0.0254mm) horizontal displacement (mm) horizontal shear force ib(0.453kg) horizontal shear force kg shear stress kg/cm2
0 0 0 0 0
10 0.254 5.142 2.329326 0.07472974
19 0.4826 5.231 2.369643 0.076023195
29 0.7366 5.379 2.463867 0.079046102
36 0.9144 5.439 2.732949 0.087678826
44 1.1176 6.033 2.86749 0.091995188
51 1.2954 6.33 3.607239 0.115727911
57 1.4478 7.963 3.809277 0.122209721
63 1.6002 8.409 4.077906 0.130827911
70 1.778 9.002 4.347441 0.139475168
76 1.9304 9.597 4.481529 0.143776997
84 2.1336 9.893 4.751064 0.152424254
91 2.3114 10.488 4.818108 0.154575168
100 2.54 10.636 4.885605 0.156740616
107 2.7178 10.785 4.952649 0.15889153
114 2.8956 10.933 5.154687 0.16537334
121.5 3.0861 11.379 5.221731 0.167524254
129 3.2766 11.527 5.288775 0.169675168
137 3.4798 11.675 5.423769 0.174006064
145 3.683 11.973 5.490813 0.176156978
152 3.8608 12.121 5.55831 0.178322425
160 4.064 12.27 5.154687 0.16537334
179 4.5466 11.379 5.154687 0.16537334
max shear 0.178322425

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M.M. Murtada sabih Soil Mechanics Laboratory

normal stress =0.313kg/cm2

horizontal dial reading(0.0254mm) horizontal displacement (mm) horizontal shear force ib(0.453kg) horizontal shear force kg shear stress kg/cm2
0 0 0 0 0
4.5 0.1143 6.33 2.86749 0.091995188
11 0.2794 7.5117 3.4028001 0.109169076
17 0.4318 7.963 3.607239 0.115727911
23 0.5842 8.557 3.876321 0.124360635
30 0.762 8.854 4.279944 0.137309721
37 0.9398 9.448 4.481982 0.14379153
44 1.1176 9.894 4.885605 0.156740616
50 1.27 10.785 5.221731 0.167524254
56 1.4224 11.527 5.692851 0.182638787
62 1.5748 12.567 6.028977 0.193422425
70 1.778 13.309 6.231015 0.199904235
77 1.9558 13.755 6.634638 0.212853321
82 2.0828 14.646 7.038261 0.225802406
88 2.2352 15.537 7.441884 0.238751492
94 2.3876 16.428 7.710966 0.247384216
101 2.5654 17.022 8.24913 0.264649663
108 2.7432 18.21 8.383671 0.268966025
115 2.921 18.507 9.055923 0.290533301
121 3.0734 19.991 9.392502 0.301331473
127 3.2258 20.734 9.527043 0.305647834
136 3.4544 21.031 9.863622 0.316446006
141 3.5814 21.774 10.065207 0.322913282
148 3.7592 22.219 10.132704 0.32507873
155 3.937 22.368 10.132704 0.32507873
max shear 0.32507873

normal stress =0.470kg/cm2

horizontal dial reading(0.0254mm) horizontal displacement (mm) horizontal shear force ib(0.453kg) horizontal shear force kg shear stress kg/cm2
0 0 0 0 0
1 0.0254 8.706 3.943818 0.126526083
5 0.127 10.488 4.751064 0.152424254
10 0.254 11.972 5.423316 0.17399153
15 0.381 13.16 5.96148 0.191256978
21 0.5334 14.052 6.634638 0.212853321
28 0.7112 14.646 7.307343 0.23443513
34 0.8636 16.131 7.374387 0.236586044
39 0.9906 16.279 7.845507 0.251700577
42 1.0668 16.725 8.114589 0.260333301
51 1.2954 17.319 8.518212 0.273282387
61 1.5494 17.913 9.05547 0.290518768
68 1.7272 18.804 9.325911 0.299195091
74 1.8796 19.99 9.59454 0.307813282
82 2.0828 20.587 9.998163 0.320762368
88 2.2352 21.18 10.267245 0.329395091
94 2.3876 22.071 10.80405 0.346616939
101.5 2.5781 22.665 11.477661 0.368227815
109 2.7686 23.85 11.881284 0.381176901
115 2.921 25.337 12.284907 0.394125987
122 3.0988 26.228 12.823071 0.411391434
128 3.2512 27.119 12.958065 0.415722329
133 3.3782 28.307 12.9558 0.415649663
138 3.5052 28.605 12.958065 0.415722329
142 3.6068 28.6 12.9558 0.415649663
max shear 0.415722329

:)‫نرسم عالقة لكل عينة (كل عينة من التربة لها اجهاد عمودي واكبر اجهاد افقي‬
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M.M. Murtada sabih Soil Mechanics Laboratory

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