FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.

: 1/10
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT
3/01/12
DATE:

1.0 OBJECTIVE
To determine the shear strength parameters of the soil such as cohesion, C and friction angle, 

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of this experiment, students are able to:
 Perform the direct shear test efficiently.
 Determine the shear strength parameter of the soil

3.0 THEORY

The general relationship between maximum shearing resistance, Շf and normal stress, σn for soils can
be represented by the equation and known as Coulomb’s Law:

 f  c   tan 
where: c = cohesion, which is due to internal forces holding soil particles together in a solid mass
 = friction, which is due to the interlocking of the particles and the friction between them
when subjected to normal stress

The friction components increase with increasing normal stress, but the cohesion components remains
constant. If there is no normal stress the friction disappears. This relationship is shown in the graph
below. The graph generally approximates to a straight line, its inclination to the horizontal axis being
equal to the angle of shearing resistance of the soil,  and its intercept on the vertical (shear stress)
axis being the apparent cohesion, denoted by c.
 FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 2/10
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT
3/01/12
DATE:

4.0 TEST EQUIPMENTS

1. Shear box carriage

2. Loading pad
3. Perforated plate
4. Porous plate
5. Retaining plate
 FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 3/10
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
3/01/12
DATE:
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
AMENDMENT
3/01/12
DATE:

5.0 PROCEDURES

1. Verify internal measurement using vernier calipers. The length of the sides, L and the overall
depth, B.
2. Fix base plate inside the shear box. Then put the porous plate on the base plate. Fit perforated
grid plate over porous so that the grid plates should be at right angles to the direction shear.

3. Fix two halves of the shear box by means of fixing screws

4. For cohesive soils, transfer the soil sample from square specimen cutter to the shearbox by
pressing down on the top grid plate. For sandy soil, compact soil in layers to the required
density in shear box
5. Mount the shear box assembly on the loading frame
6. Set the dial of the proving ring to zero
7. Place the loading yoke on the loading pad and carefully lift the hanger onto the top of the
loading yoke.
8. Apply the correct loading to the hanger pad.
9. Carefully remove the screws clamping the upper half to the lower half
10. Conduct the test by applying horizontal shear load to failure. Rate strain should be 0.2mm/min
11. Record readings of horizontal and force dial gauges at regular intervals.
12. Conduct test on three identical soil samples under different vertical compressive stresses,
1.75kg, 2.5kg and 3.25kg