Geotechnical Engineering for

Environmental Engineers
UGNA3153
Year 3 Jan Trimester
BEng (Hons) Environmental Engineering

ground

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 Geotechnical Engineering for
Environmental Engineers

Shear Strength(3)

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 Shear Strength of Soils

• What are the shear strength parameters ?

• What is total stress ?
• What is effective stress?
• What is the difference between c, φ and c΄, φ΄?
• What is c soil?
• What is φ soil?
• What is c-φ soil?
• How do we obtain c and φ?
• In laboratory
• In the field
• What is triaxial test ?
• What is pore pressure ?

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 Shear Strength of Soils
Examples 1:

What is shear strength?

It is---Soils ability to resist sliding along internal surfaces within a

mass of soils.

Practice problem:

Calculate the shear strength of a soil deposit at 10 m

depth having γ =20 kN/m3, c΄ = 5 kN/m2, φ΄=25˚.

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 Solution:

Coulomb proposed that shear strength s can be

expressed as

τf = c΄ + σ΄ tan φ΄

where, τf = shear strength,

c΄= cohesion,
σ΄= Effective overburden pressure
φ΄=effective angle of internal friction
tan φ΄= coefficient of friction

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Solution:
Parameters available :
c΄=5 kPa
γ =20 kN/m3
φ΄=25˚
H=10 m
τf =?
Parameter required to obtain s

σ΄=γh=20 kN/m3x10 m=200 kN/m2

Shear Strength, s

τf = 5+200*tan25
=5+200*0.466=5+93.26
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Examples 2:

For a direct shear test on a dry sand, the following are

give:
• Specimen size: 75mm*75mm*30mm (height) depth
• Normal stress: 200 kN/m3
• Shear stress at failure: 175 kN/m3
a) Determine the angle of friction?
b) For a normal stress of 150 KN/m2, what shear force is
required to cause failure in the specimen ?

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 Solution:

a) Since C= 0 (dry sand), then

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Examples 3:
The following are the results of four drained, direct shear tests on a
normally consolidated clay. Given:
• Size of specimen = 60 mm*60 mm
• Height of specimen = 30mm

Test Normal force Shear force at failure

no (N) (N)
1 200 155
2 300 230
3 400 310
4 500 385

Draw a graph for the shear stress at failure againest the

normal stress, and determine the angle of friction from
the graph.
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 Solution:

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Examples 4:
The equation of the effective stress failure envelope
for a loose, sandy soils was obtained from a direct
shear test at τf = σ΄tan 30. A drained triaxial test was
conducted with the same soil at a chamber confining
pressure of 69 kN/m2.
a) Calculate the deviator stress at failure.
b) Estimate the angle that the failure plane makes with
the major principle plane.
c) Determine the normal stress and shear when the
specimen failed on a plan that makes an angle of 30
with the major principle plane. Also explain why the
specimen did not fail along the plane during the test.
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 Solution:
a) Calculate the deviator stress at failure.
τf = + σ΄ tan 30

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 Solution:
b) Estimate the angle that the failure plane makes with the major
principle plane.

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 Solution:
c)

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Examples 5:

For a normally consolidated clay, the results of a drained

triaxial test are as follows.
chamber confining pressure: 103.5 kN/m2
Deviator stress at failure: 234.6 kN/m2

Determine the angle of friction?

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 Solution:
τf = c΄ + σ΄ tan φ΄
c΄= 0

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Examples 6:

The results of two drained triaxial tests on a saturated

clay are given as follows;

Specimen I: chamber confining pressure: 103.5 kN/m2

Deviator stress at failure: 216.7 kN/m2

Specimen II: chamber confining pressure: 172.5 kN/m2

Deviator stress at failure: 324.3 kN/m2

Calculate the shear strength parameter of the soil?

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 Solution:
τf = c΄ + σ΄ tan φ΄

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 Solution:

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Examples 7:

A consolidated- Undrained test on a normally

consolidated clay yielded the following results:

σ3 : 103.5 kN/m2

Deviator stress : 75.9 kN/m2

Pore pressure : 49.7 kN/m2

Calculate the consolidation-undrained friction angle and

the drained friction angle?
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 Solution:

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