Geotechnical

Engineering - 2
Shear Strength of Soil
Part 1
Instructor : Dr. Yasir Alharthi
Shear Strength of Soil
Shear Failure

Soils generally fail in shear

Embankment
Strip Footing
Strip footing

Failure surface
Shear Failure

failure surface

The soil grains slide over each other At failure, shear stress along the
along the failure surface. failure surface () reaches the shear
strength (f).
 Shear Strength

2W
W W
 sn

✓
Compression

Tension

✓
Shear
Shear Strength

➢ Soil strength is measured in terms of shear resistance

➢ Shear resistance is developed on the soil particle contacts.
Shear Strength

Granular Soil

For soil:
φ is angle of internal friction between

T = N  tan  particles or friction angle

Shear Strength

Relationship between grain shape, relative density and f

Shear Strength

Fine Grained Soil

➢ Their strength is due to friction and internal forces holding the particles together.
➢ This internal force is called cohesion (c) and soil possessing it, is called cohesive soil.
Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criterion


 f = c'+s ' tan f '

s =s −u
'

f´
u = pore water
pressure
Effective
cohesion Effective
f friction angle
c´
s´ s´

f is the maximum shear stress the soil can take without

failure, under normal effective stress of s´.
Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criterion

Shear strength consists of two components:

Cohesive and Frictional.

f  f = c'+s ' f tan f '

s´f tan f´
f´ frictional component

c´
s´f s'
Mohr Circle of Stress

s 1' − s 3'
2
2θ
f´
s´
s '
3 s +s
'
1
'
3 s 1'
2
Mohr Circle of Stress

s 1' − s 3'
2
2θ
f´
s´
s '
3 s +s
'
1
'
3 s 1'
2


 = 45 +
2
     
s 1 = s 3 tan  45 +  + 2c tan 45 + 
2

 2  2
Mohr Circle & Failure Envelope

failure surface 

 f = c'+s ' tan f '

X Y
X Y
Soil elements at different locations s´

Y ~ stable

X ~ failure
Mohr Circle & Failure Envelope

s´
s´c
s´e
s´

s´c+s´
s´e s´

When the soil element does not fail, the Mohr circle is
below the envelope
Mohr Circle & Failure Envelope

s´
s´c
s´e s´
s´e s´c+s´
s´

➢ As loading progresses, Mohr circle becomes larger.

➢ Failures occurs when Mohr circle touches the failure
envelope.
Determination of shear strength parameters

Laboratory tests Field tests

1. Vane shear test

1. Direct shear test
2. Pressuremeter
2. Triaxial shear test
3. Cone penetration test
3. Torsional ring shear test
4. Standard penetration
test
Laboratory Tests

Simulating field condition in laboratory

svc svc + s


shc shc


svc svc + s

➢ Direct shear test ➢ Triaxial test

Direct Shear Test
P
Steel ball
Pressure plate
Porous plates

Proving ring
to measure
shear force

Step 1: Apply a vertical load to the specimen and wait

for consolidation
Direct Shear Test
P
Steel ball
Pressure plate
Porous plates

Proving ring
to measure
shear force

Step 2: Lower box is subjected to a horizontal

displacement at a constant rate
Direct Shear Test

Analysis of test results

P Normal Load

Shear Load
Normal stress, s = P/A
S
Shear stress,  = S/A

Internal length = L

Internal width = W

A
Direct Shear Test

Analysis of test results

Normal force (P)

s =
Effective plan area ( A )

Shear resistance developed at the slidin g surface (S)

=
Effective plan area ( A )
Analysis of Shear Test Results on Sand

Normal stress = s3
Shear stress, 

Normal stress = s2

f2 Normal stress = s1

f1 Sand is cohesionless :
f3
c=0
Shear displacement ❖Direct shear tests
Shear stress at failure, f

are drained: u= 0
❖Therefore:
Mohr–Coulomb φ´= φ, c ´= c= 0
tan f failure envelope

Normal stress, s
Analysis of Shear Test Results on Clay

horizontal displacement should be applied at a very slow

rate to allow dissipation of pore water pressure

Overconsolidated clay
Shear stress at failure, f

(c′ ≠ 0)
Normally consolidated
clay (c′ = 0)
f′

Normal force, s
Mineral Types and f

• Quartz 30o
Sands • Calcite 38o

• Kaolinite 15o
• Illite 10o
• Smectite 5o
Clays
Analysis of Direct Shear Test Results

Dense sand/ OC clay

f
Shear stress, 

Loose sand/ NC clay

f

Shear displacement
Expansion
Change in height of
the sample

Dense sand/OC Clay

Compression

Shear displacement

Loose sand/NC Clay

Peak & Residual shear strength


peak

Dense Sand Critical State
residual
Loose Sand

Shear Displacement (X)

28
29
30

At Failure
31

Φ’ = 32o
Concept of Dilation & Contraction

Δh
ymax
…become looser as
Dense sands the sample DILATES

Loose sands Shear Displacement (X)

y max = 0
...become denser as the
sample CONTRACTS
y is dilation angle of soil
Disadvantages of Direct Shear Test Results

➢ Failure occurs along a predetermined failure plane

➢ Area of the sliding surface changes as the test progresses

➢ Non-uniform distribution of shear stress along the failure

surface
Triaxial Shear Test
Piston (to apply deviatoric stress)

O-ring

Failure impervious membrane

plane Soil
sample
Soil sample Porous stone
Perspex cell
at failure
Water

Pore pressure or
Cell pressure
volume change
Back pressure
pedestal