002 - Soil Mechanics - Triaxial

10/12/2021
Tri-Axial Bachelor from UNSW (2005 – 2009)

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SOIL MECHANICS
Triaxial Testing
PhD from HKUST (2012 – 2017)
Before we go further, let SMEC 2010 - 2012
me introduce myself
Private Consultant 2017 - Present
Binus University 2018 - Present
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https://www.instagram.com/geotechnical_antgineering/
BASIC SOIL MECHANICS KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED
EFFECTIVE
Pg. 6
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EFFECTIVE STRESS EFFECTIVE STRESS

• For soil at the base of ocean, they are under
very high water pressure
• However, their effective stress is as low as
though the water is at ground water surface
GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 9 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 11
EFFECTIVE STRESS Calculating Effective Stress

• As previously defined, effective stress is the total stress minus the pore water
pressure
• Simple exercise, what is the effective stress at the bottom of the 3 soils below?
200 m
5m
• We need to remember that soil is governed by effective stress 18 / 5m 18 / 5m 18 / 5m

• Not contact stress, not total stress
• Effective stress = Total stress – Pore water pressure
• 20 / 5m 20 / 5m 20 / 5m
• Atkinson (2007) stress the importance of effective stress as absolutely fundamental
to soil mechanics and its importance cannot be overstated
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Calculating Effective Stress TABLE OF CONTENT

• Triaxial Test
• Purpose
• Apparatus
200 m • Specimen Preparation
• Mounting of Specimen
5m • Testing Procedure
• Consolidated Drained (CD) - ASTM D7181 – 20
• Consolidated Undrained (CU) - ASTM D4767 – 04
• Unconsolidated Undrained (UU) - ASTM D2850 – 03a
18 / 5m 18 / 5m 18 / 5m
• Raw data for each procedure
• Interpretation of triaxial test

20 / 5m 20 / 5m 20 / 5m • Stress-strain curve
• Stiffness
• v, E, E50, E50ref, G0, γ0.7
5 × 18 + 5 × 20 5 × 18 + 5 × 20 + 5 × 10 5 × 18 + 5 × 20 + 200 × 10
190 / 240 / 2190 /
• Mohr-Coulomb
10 × 10 15 × 10 210 × 10 • Shear strength
100 / 150 / 2100 / • , , !" , !" , #, cu, $ , su
190 100 240 150 2190 2100
90 / 90 / 90 /
GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 15
Soil is Like Humans
Effective stress is the average net

stress acting on soil in a plane
The soil’s behaviour is dependent on
this net stress
Just like humans’ net income 40th Rankine Lecture
Their behaviour will also greatly
depend on it s
GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING
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PURPOSE, WHY WE DO THIS TEST?

Atkinson (2007)
• Details/procedures of tests can affect results of the tests by varying degree
• For tests measuring material parameters (Atterberg limit, grain size distribution), depends on nature of the
grain
• Different laboratories/workers will obtain the same results
• Whereas tests that measure nature and state of soil, the procedure is very important, and it is necessary
to abide the standard procedure to obtain the correct results
• Triaxial test belongs to the latter category, i.e. measurement of nature and state of soil
• It is important for engineers to specify the
• Loading path (for conventional triaxial, this path is fixed)
• Loads applied (cell pressure) before the test start
Bolton (1987)
• Triaxial is able to measure/observe the following properties/behaviour in soil:
• Small strains stiffness;
52nd Rankine Lecture • Dilation and contraction due to large shear strains;
• Critical state in which infinite shear strains develop;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Bolton • Speed of drainage, which controls pore-water pressure;
• Friction and cohesion
• Each at varying degrees of precision Pg. 19
Over 600 pages STIFFNESS VS STRENGTH

of writing on • Stiffness governs the displacement at working load
triaxial testing! • Strength governs the maximum loads that a structure can sustain
• By intuition, we may think that strong materials will be stiff; and weak materials will be soft
Steel: Stiff and strong

• But its not necessarily true, materials can have any reasonable combination of stiffness and strength
Chalk: Stiff but weak Rubber: Soft but strong
Examples taken from Atkinson (2007)
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TRIAXIAL APPARATUS - UNASSEMBLED
Membrane
Membrane stretcher
Drain lines (make sure
there is no air in the drain) Circular filter Triaxial cell
Porous paper wall
stones Triaxial top
part
Pedestal
Rod
Vacuum grease
O rings
Filter paper strips
Small O rings & pieces of tubing Larger O rings
which goes to the top pedestal

Triaxial base
part
TRIAXIAL APPARATUS
If the axial load cell is installed above the triaxial chamber, some https://www.gdsinstruments.com/gds-
errors maybe produced due to friction between loading ram and the products/triaxial-automated-system-load-
top of triaxial chamber frame-type
GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING
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TRIAXIAL APPARATUS - LOAD CELL AND TRIAXIAL APPARATUS

DISPLACEMENT MEASURING DEVICE
Load cell measures the force Displacement measuring device to

downward on the piston measure the movement of the piston
Difference between triaxial CD, CU or UU are actually just from the https://www.gdsinstruments.com/gds-
opening and closing of drainage at different stages of the test products/triaxial-automated-system-load-
frame-type
GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 25 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING
TRIAXIAL APPARATUS TRIAXIAL APPARATUS -

Piston connection PORE PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
Top part
Middle part Rods that connect top

(cylindrical cell walls) part to the base part
Base Part
Pore pressure transducer to Pore pressure transducer to

measure pore pressure inside measure pressure in the cell/stress
the specimen on the outside of the specimen
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TRIAXIAL APPARATUS
https://www.globalgilson.com/porous-stones
Sizes mentioned by Bolton,

except for 225 mm
Soil specimen is mounted inside the triaxial chamber https://www.gdsinstruments.com/gds-

products/triaxial-automated-system-load-
The soil specimen size can vary frame-type
COMMENTS ON SOIL SPECIMEN SIZE COMMENTS ON SOIL SPECIMEN SIZE

• Triaxial sample size • A minimum of three individual measurements are taken for the height as well as the diameter of the
• ASTM – Minimum diameter of 33 mm; largest particle size is %⁄& of the specimen diameter specimen
• Atkinson – Diameter of 38 or 100 mm • The individual readings cannot differ by more than 2% of the average of the readings
• Bolton – Diameter of 38, 50, 100, 150, 225 mm
• Size of specimen should match the size of porous stone used
1200
https://www.globalgilson.com/porous-stones
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COMMENTS ON SOIL SPECIMEN SIZE COMMENTS ON SOIL SPECIMEN SIZE

• Triaxial height vs. diameter ratio • If we were to use a bigger sample size, a more overall behaviour can be obtained
• ASTM – 2 to 2.5 • Head (1998) recommends to use a sample size of at least diameter = 100 mm for fissured soil
• Atkinson – about two times
• Bolton – about two times
• Does the specimen size matters?
• It affects the quality and duration of the test
• Obviously the bigger the specimen size, the longer the test would take
• However, greater diameter offers greater accuracy, and are rarely performed commercially
• Bolton commented
• the 38 mm diameter samples give relatively poor accuracy and are used almost exclusively by
the industry due to their cheapness
• Although seemingly unscientific, but ten crude tests at £10 can give more valuable
information than one accurate test at £100
• There are however, cases where soil sample size can lead to huge errors
COMMENTS ON SOIL SPECIMEN SIZE TRIAXIAL APPARATUS BASE SETUP

• For soil which are fissured, sample size can significantly affect the results
Red valves has tube connected to

pedestal at the base of the sample
Black valves has tubes connected

to pedestal at the top of the sample
The valves controls fluid

pressure/movement inside the
specimen
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TRIAXIAL APPARATUS ASSEMBLY SPECIMEN PREPARATION FROM UDS
Measure the diameter of the soil Measure the height of the soil specimen Measure the weight of the soil
specimen with vernier caliper with vernier caliper specimen
This port is connected into a small
hole in which fluids can go inside
or outside of the triaxial chamber
(outside of the soil specimen)
The port controls fluid pressure
outside the specimen, i.e. ()
SPECIMEN PREPARATION FROM UDS SPECIMEN PREPARATION FROM UDS (2)

• Prepare intact specimens from large intact samples or from undisturbed samples thin-walled tube (Shelby
tube) in accordance to D1587
Soil lathe
• Samples must be preserved and transported in accordance with the practices in ASTM D4220
• Samples are extruded in a special device equipped with hydraulic jacks and proper sized platens to
extrude the core in a smooth continuous speed
Gently put the soil in the soil lathe Using wire saw cut the sides of the
soil sample. Trim all sides until it
makes a cylindrical shape. The guide
on the soil lathe will produce a
cylindrical sample with 35 mm
diameter
Extrude soil specimen from soil Put the soil cylindrical cutter on top of Using spatula, cut the remaining soil
sampler, for undisturbed sample can use the extruder to cut the soil into a of the soil cutter
Shelby tube as the soil sampler triaxial sample shape. Make sure the
height is at least twice the diameter.
The usual triaxial sample size is 38 mm
in diameter and 76 mm in height
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SPECIMEN PREPARATION FROM UDS (2) SPECIMEN PREPARATION FROM UDS

Soil lathe
Mini soil lathe
Gently put the soil horizontally in the Using wire saw trim the bottom part Measure with vernier caliper the height
mini soil lathe. of the specimen with the aid of mini of the soil specimen. Make sure the
soil lathe. height is at least twice the diameter,
which is 70 mm.
The soil excess which is trimmed can be placed into a tin to
measure its water content.
This is so we can calculate the volume of solid in the soil specimen. However,
we need to measure the specific gravity too in order to do the calculation.
SPECIMEN PREPARATION FROM UDS (2) SPECIMEN PREPARATION – REMOULDED SAMPLE
Compress the sample into the mold in 10 layers with 10 Extrude the soil specimen manually
tamps per layer
Trim the remaining Measure the circumference of the soil Measure the weight of the soil
soil with wiresaw specimen specimen
Measure the height and diameter of the remolded specimen
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SPECIMEN PREPARATION – SAND SAMPLE SPECIMEN PREPARATION – SAND SAMPLE
Put O ring on top of the membrane and slowly place the Add the compaction sleeve firmly over the overflow tray.
overflow tray sample down to the O ring Then measure the height of the sample minus compaction
sleeve. Divide the sample by ten lifts
By knowing the height of each layer of sand and its density and the volume of the
mold, we can find out how much material we need to use for each layer and how
many layers do we need. The reason for using ten lifts is to ensure our sample is
as uniformly compacted as possible
Using different number of layer is justifiable depending on the target relative

density
A higher number of layers will achieve a higher relative

density
Use large O rings to tightly fit the triaxial cell to the base Put the membrane inside the mold and put two O rings to Weigh the sand, and put the sand inside the membrane Compact the sand, repeat until the membrane is full
secure the bottom part
Put the porous stone inside the membrane Stretch the membrane to the top of the mould, then use This is how it looks like when it’s full Using a flat knife, smoothen the top face of the sample
vacuum to suck the membrane so it would stick to the wall of
the mould Pg. 48
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Slowly pullout the overflow tray and remove the remaining Thoroughly clean the sand on the top of the sample and the
excess sand, weigh this extra sand base of the cell. Make sure there are no particles left. The
particle can cause a blockage on cell pressure pipes and
possibly damage the pressure controller
The sand loss should also be minimized, otherwise the density
of soil specimen will be overestimated Remove the mold and the sample is ready to be tested
Put another porous stone and the top pedestal. Gently lift the
membrane while holding the top cap in place Pg. 49 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 51
SPECIMEN PREPARATION – SAND SAMPLE APPARATUS ASSEMBLY
Roll the o ring to the top pedestal and roll the excessive Connect the top cap to the back pressure
membrane around it. Make sure it’s really secured and no air or
water can go in. Use one more o ring to secure the membrane
Apply -10 kPa negative pressure to the sand sample to keep it

together. Once reached the -10 kPa press stop and then
observe any change in pressure. If it doesn't decrease, we can
take off the mold and proceed to the next step. But if it is
decreasing then there is a leak on one end of the sample or
the membrane is punctured. Therefore the procedure has to
be restarted from the beginning with new membrane
Pg. 50
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APPLY VACUUM GREASE PLACEMENT OF BOTTOM FILTER PAPER
Use a thin film of vacuum grease on the large O

rings, small o rings (that goes inside the top
pedestal), and on the side of the bottom and top
pedestals to make the O rings and membrane
seal properly
Greasing of O rings should be done prior to

extruding soil samples to prevent excess
moisture loss
Alternatively, we can keep the soil specimen in

a plastic wrap, provided the soil is stiff enough
Dip filter paper in the water to make sure it is Carefully lay the filter paper on top of saturated porous
saturated stone
PLACEMENT OF BOTTOM POROUS STONE MOUNTING OF SOIL SPECIMEN
We want to get as much air as

possible out of the system because
the system needs to be saturated in
order to give the correct results
Make sure there is no air bubble on

these drain lines. If there is a visible
air bubble, pump out more water to
flush off the air bubbles
Give a little water across the base and carefully slide the saturated porous stone Carefully place specimen on top of filter paper Saturate another circular filter paper and carefully
across the base pedestal so there is no air in the system place it on top of the specimen. Give a little water on
top of the filter paper so the specimen can fully
contact the paper and to eliminate as much air bubbles
as possible
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PLACEMENT OF TOP POROUS STONE ALTERNATIVE – FILTER CAGE
Put another saturated porous stone on top of the filter Put the loading cap on top of the stone
paper
PLACEMENT OF FILTER STRIPS EXTRA READINGS ON SIDE DRAINS

½D ½D
½H
½H
Without filter With filter

paper strips paper strips
Put filter paper strips all along the side of the specimen, from one
porous stone to another. This shorten the drainage path of the specimen
and make consolidation much faster. Bolton state that it can be up to
43 times faster than single drainage.
Side drains filter paper should not encroach within 10 mm of the lower
porous disc where pore pressure is measured, it would affect the
reading otherwise
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READYING THE MEMBRANE PLACEMENT OF BOTTOM AND TOP O-RINGS

O ring stretcher
Use two O rings each to seal the membrane to the top and base pedestals. The O rings are stretched using a help of a ring
Put the membrane inside membrane stretcher. The membrane should be pulled around stretcher
evenly and not twisted.
Use vacuum to suck the Turn the excess membrane

outside of the membrane to over so that the top part of
open up the membrane. the top pedestal can be
exposed
PLACEMENT OF MEMBRANE INSTALL TUBES TO TOP PART OF SPECIMEN
Put the stretched membrane on top of the soil

specimen until just above the bottom pedestal
and then release the vacuum.
Pull the membrane over the base and top Put the small O rings and pieces of tubing to the top Put the two tubes on the top pedestal
pedestal. pedestal
Note by Bolton, depending on specimen size

and stiffness of the rubber membrane, the
membrane can exert a hoop stress of about
5 kPa, i.e. extra 5 *+
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CLOSING OFF THE TRIAXIAL CHAMBER SUMMARY THUS FAR – BASE SETUP
Bottom filter paper (wet)

Put the large greased up O rings and Put the other large greased up O rings ASTM Req:
Put the triaxial cylinder wall
install it unto the groove on the base and install it unto the groove on the top Permeability of filter paper has to be 1 magnitude higher
than the specimen
Whatman No. 54 filter paper has been found to meet
requirements for permeability and durability
Bottom porous disk (saturated)

ASTM Requirement:
Porous disks shall be silicon carbide, aluminium oxide or
similar non-corrosive material
Pedestal
Grade of disks shall be fine enough to prevent intrusion of soil
into the pores
PLACEMENT OF PISTON AND LOCKING OF CHAMBER SUMMARY THUS FAR
Pedestal
Put the top part of the triaxial cell. Triaxial cell after assembly
Put the connecting rods Porous stone
Make sure the piston has to be able to
go into the top cap Filter paper
Soil sample
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SUMMARY THUS FAR FILLING UP THE CHAMBER
Vent line
O rings
Open the vent line on top of the cell so Fill the water outside the Remember that the system needs to be
Filter paper cage there is no pressure inside the cell saturated in order to get the correct
specimen until the cell is
full results.
So get as much air bubbles as possible out
Membrane of the system.
If there is a visible air bubble in the drains,
pump out more water to push off the air
O rings bubbles.
SUMMARY THUS FAR LOWER PISTON AND OBTAIN INITIAL READING
Obtain initial
reading
Cell cylindrical wall
Rod Loading
piston
Top
part
Measure the height of the sample. Push the piston gently until touching the top cap, don’t push it too hard
so the soil specimen is not damaged. With vernier caliper measure initial height and height after
consolidation
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SUMMARY OF TRIAXIAL CONSOLIDATED DRAINED TEST

Source of errors in triaxial CD test (Bolton)
• pore pressures are inadvertently caused through too-fast compression
• air bubbles in the system make the measurement of volume of drainage a gross underestimate
• leakage across the sample or through the rubber membrane causes the volume of drainage to be a gross
overestimate
Extra notes by Bolton

• Compression rate must be so slow that negligible excess pore water pressures are generated at any stage
of the test
TEST PROCEDURE OF TRIAXIAL CD • May take 5 working days to achieve with a clayey soil
SUMMARY OF TRIAXIAL CONSOLIDATED DRAINED TEST SATURATION PROCESS

ASTM D7181 – 20
• The test is conducted on either intact or reconstituted specimen
• The specimen is mounted using either a dry or wet mounting procedure To carry out the saturation process, the cell pressure and back pressure are
• Specimen shape and dimensions are measured prior to mounting increased. The difference between back pressure and cell pressure should not be
too large. In ASTM 4727 it is stated that it should not exceed 35 kPa.
• Test specimen is then back pressure saturated
• After saturation, the specimen is isotropically or anisotropically consolidated
• The test specimen is then axially loaded at a constant rate with To begin saturation process, the water inlet hose is closed. Open the cell
pressure valve, then increase the cell pressure. The back pressure can also be
• Drainage lines open to allow the sample to drain increased simultaneously.
Termination criteria After increasing the value of cell pressure and back pressure, open the pore
pressure valve.
• Test can be stopped when the soil specimen has failed If the pore pressure reading is close to the back pressure (10 – 20 kPa), close
• This usually corresponds to the maximum principal stress difference (for dense/overconsolidated both pore pressure and back pressure valves. Check the B-value of the specimen.
specimen)
If pore pressure reading is not close to the back pressure, continue to increase the
• Or at 15% axial strain (Bolton specifies 20%); (for loose/normally consolidated specimen, however, cell pressure and back pressure in increments of 35 – 140 kPa, keep the
dense/overconsolidated specimen can also be axially loaded to this level to obtain critical state) difference between cell pressure and back pressure at lower than 35 kPa.
Back pressure
Suitability of results
Pore pressure
• The shear strength obtained from this test can be used for embankment stability analysis, earth pressure
calculations, and foundation design Cell pressure
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SATURATION PROCESS – B VALUE CHECK EXTRA READING ON SATURATION PROCESS
To conduct B-value check, close the back pressure valve and drainage valve,
while keeping the pore pressure valve and cell pressure valve open. Increase the
cell pressure by 70 kPa and wait about 10-15 minutes, when the pore pressure no
longer changes, the current B-value can be calculated:
0 123/
B -+. /
0 /.. 13/44 3/
If the B-value is above 0.95, the soil specimen can be considered saturated.
If the B-value has not reached 0.95, close the pore pressure valve and reopen
the back pressure valve. Then repeat the saturation process on the previous
slide.
If the B-value is still less than 0.95 after several saturation process, it can be
considered saturated.
Back pressure
Pore pressure
Cell pressure
GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Excerpt from Head (1989)
NOTES ON B-VALUE CHECK EXTRA READING ON SATURATION PROCESS
NOTES:
• After 2 mins determine and record maximum value of
the induced pore pressure
• Pore pressure may decrease after the immediate
response and then increase slightly with time, if this
occurs value of 0 should be plotted with time and the
asymptotic pore pressure used as the change in pore
pressure
• A large increase in 0 with time, or values of 0
greater than 0 3 indicate a leak of chamber fluid into
the specimen
• Decrease of 0 with time may indicate a leak in that
part of the pore pressure measurement system located
outside of the chamber
• Reapply the same effective consolidation stress as
existed prior to B-value measurement by reducing the
chamber pressure or by increasing the back pressure
Back pressure
Pore pressure
Cell pressure

Excerpt from Head (1989)
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EXTRA READING ON SATURATION PROCESS EXTRA READING ON SATURATION PROCESS
Excerpt from Head (1989) Excerpt from Head (1989)
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CONSOLIDATION AND SHEARING PROCESS EXAMPLE OF CONSOLIDATION DATA

There are 2 distinct phases on any triaxial tests:
Isotropic consolidation phase

• Back pressure is closed, and cell pressure is increased.
• There is a confining stress all around the specimen and during this phase soil can be allowed to
consolidate or not consolidate depending on the test that is going to be performed.
σ3
σ3 σ3
Shearing phase
• Vertical stress (deviatoric stress) is gradually increased until specimen fails. Take readings every
0.1% for the first 1% strain, then every 1% until termination criterion is reached.
• At this stage, drainage valve can either be opened or closed.
• Shearing rate for soil specimen is determined from the consolidation phase
σ1
σ3 σ3

JUST LIKE OEDOMETER, RECORD DATA AT INCREASING INTERVALS CONSOLIDATION AND SHEARING PROCESS
There are 2 distinct phases on any triaxial tests:
t (hour) t (min) Deformation
0.1 Isotropic consolidation phase
• Back pressure is closed, and cell pressure is increased.
0.25 • There is a confining stress all around the specimen and during this phase soil can be allowed to
consolidate or not consolidate depending on the test that is going to be performed.
0.5 σ3
1
2
4 σ3 σ3
8
0.25 15 Shearing phase
• Vertical stress (deviatoric stress) is gradually increased until specimen fails. Take readings every
0.5 30 0.1% for the first 1% strain, then every 1% until termination criterion is reached.
1 60 • At this stage, drainage valve can either be opened or closed.
• Shearing rate for soil specimen is determined from the consolidation
σ1 phase
2 120 Assuming that failure will occur at about 4%
4 240 axial strain, a suitable strain rate is
8%
8 480 • With side drain 67
%& :;
24 1440 σ3 σ3 • Without side drain 67

8%
%< :;
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SPECIMEN REMOVAL
Specimen removal TEST PROCEDURE OF TRIAXIAL CU

• When shearing is complete, close the drainage valves
• Remove the axial load and reduce the chamber and back pressure to zero
• Quickly remove the specimen from the apparatus so the specimen will not have time to absorb water from the porous
disks
• Remove the rubber membrane and the filter-paper strips/cage if they were used
• If there is some free water after the removal of membrane, they should be blotted away
• Determine the water content of the total specimen
• Before putting the specimen in oven to dry, take photo of the specimen to show the failure mode (shear plane, bulging,
etc.)
EXTRA READING ON SPECIMEN REMOVAL SUMMARY OF TRIAXIAL CONSOLIDATED UNDRAINED TEST

ASTM D4767 – 04
• The test is conducted on either undisturbed or remolded saturated cohesive soil
• The specimen is mounted using either a dry or wet mounting procedure
• Specimen shape and dimensions are measured prior to mounting
• After saturation, the specimen is isotropically or anisotropically consolidated
• The test specimen is then axially loaded at a constant rate with
• Drainage lines closed, no water is allowed to drain
• Instead, pore water pressure is measured
Termination criteria
• Test can be stopped when the soil specimen has failed
• This usually corresponds to the maximum principal stress difference (for dense/overconsolidated
specimen)
• Or at 15% axial strain (Bolton specifies 20%); (for loose/normally consolidated specimen, however,
dense/overconsolidated specimen can also be axially loaded to this level to obtain critical state)
• The shear strength obtained from this test can be used for embankment stability analysis, earth pressure
calculations, and foundation design. Suitable for soils that have been fully consolidated and sheared
Pg. 94 quickly as well as soil in drained conditions. Pg. 96
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EXTRA READING ON STRAIN RATE FOR UNDRAINED SHEAR

Pg. 97
NOTES BY BOLTON ON UNDRAINED SHEAR TEST

• Most errors are caused by clumsiness in setting the sample up.
• The most serious causes of error in UNDRAINED tests are:
• pore pressure lead has air bubbles in it, which can be ‘squashed’ causing drainage
• air bubbles are trapped underneath the rubber sheath or against the ends of the
sample
• the rubber sheath has a pinhole in it, causing drainage
• the pedestal or top cap has not been greased so that water can pass under the
membrane and in or out of the soil samples at its ends
• the soil itself contains air, so that it cannot be tested at CONSTANT void ratio,
and yet the test is reported as ‘undrained’ without comment. TEST PROCEDURE OF TRIAXIAL UU
• If pore pressures reading during the undrained test are not required, the possibility of
leakage can be reduced by placing a blank disc over the drainage pedestal. The top cap
can also be blank rather than drilled if no drainage is required during the course of test
sequence.
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SUMMARY OF TRIAXIAL UNCONSOLIDATED UNDRAINED TEST IT IS NOT ENOUGH JUST TO KNOW HOW TO DO THE TEST,
ASTM D2850 – 03a
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE FOR
• The test is conducted on either intact or reconstituted specimen
• The specimen is mounted using either a dry or wet mounting procedure
• Specimen shape and dimensions are measured prior to mounting
• After saturation, the specimen is not allowed to drain
• The test specimen is then axially loaded at a constant rate with
• Drainage lines closed, no water is allowed to drain
• Instead, pore water pressure is measured (optional)
Termination criteria
• Test can be stopped when the soil specimen has failed
• This usually corresponds to the maximum principal stress difference (for dense/overconsolidated
specimen)
• Or at 15% axial strain
• ASTM state that triaxial UU test is applicable to situations where the loads are assumed to take place so
rapidly that undrained loading occurs
Quoted from Atkinson (2007)
• It is not applicable when the loading condition differs from the test (i.e. slow loading conditions)
Pg. 101 Pg. 103
NOW THAT WE FINISHED THE TEST BLINDLY FOLLOWING COOKERY BOOK

WILL DULL OUR JUDGEMENT ON WEIRD RESULTS
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RAW DATA FROM RESPECTIVE TEST END EFFECTS

Triaxial CD
• Vertical deformation
• Vertical load (deviatoric load)
• Water expelled/absorbed by the specimen
Triaxial CU
• Pore water pressure measurement
Triaxial UU
Cui et al. (2017)
• There is surface friction between the unlubricated ends of the test specimen, as well as at the end of the
platen and the test apparatus
• This result in lateral and vertical restrain
Advanced measurement
• Therefore there is unequal deformation along the specimen, zero at the ends, maximum in the middle of
• It is also possible to measure small strain measurement, lateral deformation and local axial deformation of the specimen
soil using Hall Effect or LVDT local strain transducers
• For soil specimen with a height to diameter ratio of 2, the middle third of the specimen is more or less
unrestrained
NEED FOR ADVANCED MEASUREMENT HALL EFFECT

Small strain stiffness
• Soil is very elastic for very-very small strain (shear strain below 0.05%)
• In order to obtain initial shear strain stiffness (G0), also named maximum shear modulus (Gmax), small
strain measurement is necessary
• G0 or Gmax is a necessary parameter for PLAXIS hardening soil with small strain stiffness constitutive
model (HSS model)
• Another necessary parameter for HSS model is γ0.7, the threshold shear strain where the shear modulus of
soil is 0.722 of G0
• Small strain stiffness is important for considering deformation (serviceability limit states), especially
retaining walls, tunneling, consolidation and cyclic loading. More reading can be obtained from Obrzud
(2010)
• Small strain stiffness is also important to know soil response to dynamic loading
Lateral deformation and local axial deformation

• Specimen deformation is affected by ‘end effects’. Measured deformation does not reflect true
deformation, thus it’s desirable to measurement in the middle third of the sample
• Radial deformation interpreted from vertical deformation assumes that soil specimen remains cylindrical,
which is not true when near failure, thus importance of local measurement
• Jardine et al. (1984) commented that triaxial tests which does not measure strain locally give apparent soil
stiffness lower than those from field behaviour
https://www.gdsinstruments.com/__assets__/Products/00035/
Hall-Effect-and-LVDT_datasheet.pdf
Pg. 106 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 108
27
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LVDT AXIAL AND RADIAL MEASUREMENT
INTERPRETATION OF TRIAXIAL CD
https://www.gdsinstruments.com/__assets__/Products/00035/
Hall-Effect-and-LVDT_datasheet.pdf Pg. 109
SOME SHORTCOMINGS OF ELECTRONIC MEASUREMENTS CONVERTING RAW DATA – LOAD ON SPECIMEN

• The raw data obtained from our triaxial test is load
• You may remember that what we need is stress
• One may think, we can simply divide the load by the area of the soil specimen, Q/A
?
=
>

Pg. 110 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 112
28
10/12/2021
CONVERTING RAW DATA – LOAD ON SPECIMEN CONVERTING RAW DATA – LOAD ON SPECIMEN
• The raw data obtained from our triaxial test is load • Then we can use the new area = + Δ= to calculate the corrected deviatoric stress
• You may remember that what we need is stress A< ΔA
= + Δ=
• One may think, we can simply divide the load by the area of the soil specimen, Q/A > Δ>
? ?
FG
The strain is simply 6%
G
= =
> > Δ> > > Δ>
= + Δ= = + Δ=
ΔA ΔA
• But we need to remember that the soil specimen deforms as it is loaded, i.e. area increases
?
• If we measure the lateral/radial deformation directly, it is easy to do the correction C
(= + Δ=)
• If no lateral strain measured, change in area ∆A, must be inferred from the measurements of the changes
?
in length (∆H) and volume change (∆V) C (> Δ>)
A< ΔA
CONVERTING RAW DATA – LOAD ON SPECIMEN CONVERTING RAW DATA – LOAD ON SPECIMEN
• Let’s first define the initial (V0) and final volume after loading (Vf), followed by the volume change • Then we can use the new area = + Δ= to calculate the corrected deviatoric stress
A< =>; AB = + Δ= > Δ> A< ΔA
= + Δ=
ΔA A< AB > Δ>
? ?
= =
> > Δ> > > Δ>
= + Δ= = + Δ=
ΔA ΔA
• Putting the equations together, we get
?
ΔA => = + Δ= > Δ> C
(= + Δ=)
= + Δ= > Δ> => ΔA
?
=> ΔA A< ΔA C (> Δ>)
= + Δ= A< ΔA
> Δ> > Δ>
Initial measurement of sample
29
10/12/2021
CONVERTING RAW DATA – LOAD ON SPECIMEN STRESS-STRAIN CURVE & VOLUME CHANGE
H
• Then we can use the new area = + Δ= to calculate the corrected deviatoric stress • Now let’s plot the volume change vs. axial strain chart as void
HJ!K
A< ΔA ratio (/) vs. axial strain (6% )
= + Δ= • Obviously the trend/shape of the graph for both loose
> Δ>
sand/normally consolidated clay and dense
? sand/overconsolidated clay will be the same
• They will just have different starting points, instead of 0
6% • The loose sand will have higher initial void ratio while;
• The dense sand will have lower void ratio
+ΔA
• When they reached a certain level of shear strain, both dense
=
> > Δ> and loose soil will reach approximately the same void ratio
= + Δ= 6% • Now we can observe a very interesting phenomena, further

straining results in:
ΔA -ΔA
• No change in shear stress
? • No change in volume
C /
(= + Δ=) • No change in void ratio
• The soil is in a special state, which we call critical state
?
C (> Δ>)
A< ΔA
Raw data
There is one big assumption though, the sample remain cylindrical
6% Pg. 119
STRESS-STRAIN CURVE & VOLUME CHANGE STRESS-STRAIN CURVE & VOLUME CHANGE
H H
• There is two typical stress-strain (H 6% ) curve obtained • Now let’s take a look at the particles to explain the
HJ!K HJ!K
from triaxial CD test contraction & dilation, as well as why there is peak strength
• For loose sand or normally consolidated clay, the shear stress
will gradually increase as the soil is strained, until no more
increase in shear stress can be observed with further increase
in strain
• For dense sand or overconsolidated clay, the shear stress will
6% increase until it reached a peak (HJ!K ), then gradually 6% • For loose sand, the particles start in loose arrangement, and
decreases until no more decrease in shear stress can be shearing results in contraction
+ΔA +ΔA
observed with further increase in strain • For dense sand, the particles start in tighter arrangement,
• For the same material, e.g. the same sand, the shear stress there is some ‘interlocking’ among particles, as the soil is
which no more change can be observed with further straining sheared, the particles overcome the interlocking and dilates,
will approximately be equal resulting in increase in volume
6% 6%
• Now let’s take a look at the volume change (ΔA) versus axial
strain (6% ) chart • Obviously the loose sand particles cannot contract forever;
-ΔA -ΔA likewise the dense sand particles cannot dilate forever.
• For loose sand or normally consolidated clay, the soil volume
continues to contract (volume reduction) until it reaches a / Otherwise loose sand will become dense sand, and dense sand
point where further straining cause no more volume change will become loose sand.
• For dense sand or over consolidated clay, the soil volume • The soil will reach a state whereby the particles just slide
initially contracts, then the soil starts to dilate (volume across one another, resulting in no more change in volume,
increase) as it is further sheared. The soil continues to dilate void ratio as well as shear stress
until it reaches a point where further straining cause no more • This state is critical state, and very fundamental behaviour of
volume change soil

6% Pg. 120
30
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STRESS-STRAIN CURVE & VOLUME CHANGE DERIVING MODULUS (E)

H H
• Another interesting point that can be observed is that the peak
HJ!K
shear stress occurs during the peak dilation
• This makes sense, as at peak dilation, the soil particles need
the most energy to overcome the interlocking
• As the mode of failure differs, one would expect the soil

specimen to show different behaviour as well
6% 6%
• For loose sand, the soil will bulge • For derivation of modulus, let’s use the results from loose sand as an example
+ΔA
U
• As we know, modulus of a material is the ratio of stress to strain, T
V
• So we can obtain modulus by drawing either tangent lines or secant lines on the stress-strain curve
Peak dilation
• Obviously depending on where we draw the lines, we will obtain different moduli (E)
6%
• But no matter we draw the lines, one obvious observation is that, modulus decreases as we strain the soil
• For dense sand, there will be a clear rupture zone
• So where should we draw the lines?
-ΔA • This is because soil dilates more at the local rupture zone,
/ meaning that the soil is weaker at the rupture zone, hence a
clear failure line can be observed
6% Pg. 121 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 123
DERIVING POISSON'S RATIO DERIVING MODULUS (G0, W< )

H H
• Initial gradient of the 6L /6% graph can be used to find the
HJ!K G0 0.722G0
Poisson’s ratio (v), with regard to effective stresses
6% M + ΔM γ0.7 6%
> > Δ> • One obvious choice is to derive its maximum value, i.e. at the very beginning of the shearing
+ΔA
• This modulus corresponds to small strain shear modulus (G0), also named as maximum shear modulus (Gmax)
• As previously mentioned, this parameter is very important for a more accurate serviceability analysis, as well as
dynamic loading response
6% • In PLAXIS, in addition to maximum shear modulus, another necessary parameter for HSS model is γ0.7, the threshold
ΔM Δ> shear strain where the shear modulus of soil is 0.722 of G0
6 ;6
-ΔA M % > • To obtain the threshold modulus, we need to obtain secant modulus corresponding to 0.722 of G0 value
6L 6
/ - ; - 6% 6
6% 6% • Do note that we will require readings at very high resolution (advanced measurement) as well as automatic data
Since acquisition to obtain accurate G0 value
6L 6% + 6 + 6 6% + 26 • Remember that the maximum shear modulus happens at strain below 0.05%, while the first manual reading is taken at
0.1% strain
It means that
6L 6% 26%- 6% 1 2-
6L
O3+PQ/RS 1 2-
6% 6% Pg. 122 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 124
31
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DERIVING MODULUS (E50) DERIVING SHEAR STRENGTH PARAMETERS

H H
E50 HJ!K
HJ!K
0.5 HJ!K
6% 6%
• When we use Mohr Coulomb constitutive model in PLAXIS, the notation used for the modulus is E50, what does • To obtain shear strength parameters, we use the Mohr’s Coulomb failure criterion
the 50 mean?
• We draw semi-circles of major principal stress ( % ) and minor principal stress ( )
• The 50 means 50% of the maximum shear strength H
• First draw a horizontal line corresponding to the maximum shear stress (HJ!K ) obtained during the test or !"
• Next draw a horizontal line corresponding to half of maximum shear stress (0.5 HJ!K )
• Finally draw a secant modulus at the intersection between 0.5 HJ!K and stress-strain curve
• Then draw the best fit tangent just touching the three Mohr circles
• The angle of this tangent is friction angle, while the vertical intercept is cohesion
• Depending on the choice of % (either at critical state or peak), we can obtain & or !" & !"
• Difference between !" and is called dilatancy angle #
GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 125 • # !" Pg. 127
DERIVING MODULUS (E50REF)

H
200 *+
E50ref 100 *+
50 *+
6%
•
•
When we conduct triaxial tests, we conduct the test at least three times at three different confining pressures
Will we obtain the same modulus for all different confining pressures?
INTERPRETATION OF TRIAXIAL CU
• Obviously not!
• Remember that soil is stress dependent materials, and its stiffness is very much dependent on the confining
pressure of soil
• To take into account the difference in stiffness at different confining pressure, PLAXIS offers the hardening soil
model, and its modulus parameter is named E50ref
• The ref refers to reference confining pressure, by default this is set at 100 kPa (the users are free to modify this)
• For Mohr Coulomb modulus (E50), the user has to manually adjust the stiffness depending on the soil’s depth
• In hardening soil model, this is done automatically
32
10/12/2021
CONVERTING RAW DATA – LOAD ON SPECIMEN

• Remember that for triaxial CD, we have derived that deviatoric stress is
?
C
A< ΔA
(> Δ>)
DERIVATION OF STIFFNESS PARAMETERS IS
? THE SAME AS TRIAXIAL CD
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT, THE MODULUS
OBTAINED IS UNDRAINED MODULUS
=
> > Δ> WE CAN CONVERT IT WITH THE FOLLOWING
= + Δ= FORMULA
ΔA
• For triaxial CU, ∆V = 0, thus the equation becomes
2(1 + - )
? T T$
C
A<
(> Δ>)
3
CONVERTING RAW DATA – LOAD ON SPECIMEN DERIVING SHEAR STRENGTH PARAMETERS

G H
• We can then rewrite its form by multiplying by 1, i.e. ( )
G
? > $
C > Δ> ×
=> >
?
• In triaxial CU test, we will obtain two sets of shear strength parameters

= • Effective stress parameters &
> > Δ> • Total stress parameters &
$ $
• First draw the Mohr circles based on total stress

= + Δ= • Next draw the corresponding effective stress Mohr circles by deducting the pore water pressure measured from
and %
ΔA
? >
C (> Δ>) ×
=> >
? Δ>
C (1 )
= >
?
C (1 6%)
=
33
10/12/2021
DERIVATION OF STIFFNESS PARAMETERS FROM

TRIAXIAL UU IS MEANINGLESS
https://slideplayer.com/slide/5935048/
DERIVING SHEAR STRENGTH PARAMETER

H
4$
• In triaxial UU, we obtain undrained shear strength (su)

• Regardless the cell pressure it is sheared in, the size of Mohr circle remains the same
INTERPRETATION OF TRIAXIAL UU
UZ [U\
• The undrained shear strength is half of the deviatoric stress applied 4$ , and $ 0
• As the soil specimen is not consolidated prior to shearing, for a soil sample that has perfect saturation, i.e. Sr =
100%, during the increasing of cell pressure stage, all the additional confining pressure is taken by the pore water
pressure, hence the soil’s effective stress is identical
• But often, soil tested is not in perfect saturation Sr < 100%, hence there will be some consolidation occurring
during the increasing of cell pressure stage
• This gives an apparent friction angle and cohesion, however, the results does not reflect the real soil behaviour
• Triaxial UU is not even mentioned in Bolton nor Atkinson’s book
34
10/12/2021
MOHR CIRCLES FROM TRIAXIAL UU TEST COMPARISON OF TRIAXIAL UU AND CU
Head (1998)
Head (1998)
GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 137 Pg. 139
WHY SHOULDN’T WE DO TRIAXIAL UU FINAL SUMMARY

• We have learnt how to obtain all the parameters necessary for analytical or numerical modelling from
triaxial tests data (triaxial CD, CU, UU)
L
• Stiffness parameters: v, E, E50, E50ref, G0, γ0.7
• Strength parameters: , , !" , !" , #, cu, $ , su
]
• Raw data is very important, owner can request for the raw data to be provided and laboratory has no
L
rights to refuse
] • However, laboratory can opt not to supply their interpretation methods
• Owner hired consultants can conduct their own interpretation
• The soil samples we take are under a certain confining pressure, depending on their depth
• We have learnt about dilation and critical state
• When we take the samples out of the ground, it undergoes unloading
• Critical state is the state of soil in which further shearing does not induce anymore change in shear
• If we do not reapply the same confining pressure as it was in the field, the behaviour obtained from laboratory
will not be representative to what will happen in the field stress, volume and void ratio
• As demonstrated by the effect of stiffness under different confining pressures
• Thus one of the three test conducted should have a confining pressure equal to: • We have also learnt about stress dependent stiffness
vertical stress in the soil = unit weight x depth – pore water pressure (if any) • It is important to know the stress level the soil is at in the field, before and after construction
• If undrained shear strength is required, it is better to conduct field measurement instead, e.g. vane shear test • This is to ensure relevant modulus are used for design
35
10/12/2021
EXTRA NOTES ON TRIAXIAL TESTING (CD, CU, UU) EXTRA NOTES ON TRIAXIAL TESTING BY BOLTON
Extra Notes
• The results produced by following this standard is dependent on the competence of the personnel
performing it
• As well as the suitability of the equipment and facilities used
• Agencies that meet the criteria of practice in ASTM D3740 are generally considered capable of competent
and objective testing/sampling/inspection
• Compliance with ASTM D3740 practice, however, does not assure reliable results
• Reliable results depend on many factors & ASTM D3740 can only evaluate some of those factors
Brief guidelines from ASTM D3740 (for laboratory testing)

• Personnel must be adequately trained, and only perform tests they are qualified and certified for
• Supervising laboratory technician shall have at least 3 years of experience
• The supervising laboratory technician has to pass written examination(s); capable to perform tests
under ASTM standard or National standard; Capable of evaluating test results
• Agency must ensure equipment is properly maintained in good operating condition and calibrated as
needed
• Agency perform all testing and inspection in accordance with appropriate standards and quality criteria
CALIBRATION SCHEDULE FOR VARIOUS EQUIPMENT References

Atkinson, J. (2007). The Mechanics of Soils and Foundations (2nd Edition). Taylor & Francis, USA.
ASTM D1587 (2012). Standard Practice for Thin-Walled Tube Sampling of Soils for Geotechnical Purposes. ASTM
International.
ASTM D2850 (2003). Standard Test Method for Unconsolidated-Undrained Triaxial Compression Test on Cohesive Soils.
ASTM International.
ASTM D3740 (2012). Standard Practice for Minimum Requirements for Agencies Engaged in Testing and/or Inspection of
Soil and Rock as Used in Engineering Design and Construction. ASTM International.
ASTM D4220 (2007). Standard Practices for Preserving and Transporting Soil Samples. ASTM International.
ASTM D4767 (2004). Standard Test Method for Consolidated Undrained Triaxial Compression Test for Cohesive Soils.
ASTM International.
ASTM D7181 (2020). Standard Test Method for Consolidated Drained Triaxial Compression Test for Soils. ASTM
International.
Bolton, M. (1987). A Guide to Soil Mechanics. Macmillan Education Ltd, London, UK.
CONTROLS (2019, April 29). Triaxial test – How to prepare a clay undisturbed sample – Wykeham Farrance [Video].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLMwtbJuV38
CONTROLS (2019, April 29). Triaxial test – How to prepare a remoulded soil sample – Wykeham Farrance [Video].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozyUc27v0F8
Cui, M-J., Zheng, J-J., Zhang, R-J., & Lai, H.J. (2017). Influence of cementation level on the strength behaviour of bio-
cemented sand. Acta Geotechnica, 12(4). DOI: 10.1007/s11440-017-0574-9
GDSInstruments (2020, December 21). Preparing a Sand Sample for Triaxial Testing [Video].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_ULfn8UeAE
Head, K. H. (1998). Effective Stress Tests, Volume 3, Manual of Soil Laboratory Testing (2nd Edition). John Wiley & Sons,
Note: The calibration schedule/equipment list might be different as this is copied not from the most current ASTM, the most current version
USA.
when this document is written is ASTM D3740 – 19
Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering (2015, February 10). CE 326 Mod 12.9b Triaxial Shear Test [Video].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq4UlLm8oIs
Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering (2020, April 13). C-U Triaxial Soil Test, Part 1 – Shear Testing [Video].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J2NkDbf-FA
36
10/12/2021
References PREVIEW OF ADVANCED TRIAXIAL TOPIC

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering (2020, April 14). C-U Triaxial Soil Test, Part 2 – Cell Assembly [Video].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCmf3jM6RHw
Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering (2020, April 13). C-U Triaxial Soil Test, Part 4 – Shear Testing [Video].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lws9mWpDXV4
Jardine, R. J., Symes, M. J. & Burland, J. B. (1984). The measurement of soil stiffness in the triaxial apparatus.
Géotechnique, 34(3), pp. 323-340. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.1984.34.3.323
Novita Anggraini (2020, September 3). Pengujian Triaxial (Triaxial Test) [Video].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhKXd2tIDSg
Obrzud, R. F. (2010). On the use of the Hardening Soil Small Strain model in geotechnic practice. Proceeding of Numerics in
Geotechnics and Structures 2010.
Prudence Reyes (2017, April 4). Triaxial Test [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuyzfzONAIk
Soil Mechanics Triaxial Test (2015, September 26). UBC – CIVL311 – Triaxial Test Video 2 Specimen Preparation [Video].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnDQdSgEjLs
PREVIEW OF ADVANCED TRIAXIAL TOPIC PREVIEW OF ADVANCED TRIAXIAL TOPIC
37
10/12/2021
PREVIEW OF ADVANCED TRIAXIAL TOPIC
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002 - Soil Mechanics - Triaxial

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002 - Soil Mechanics - Triaxial

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10/12/2021

Tri-Axial Bachelor from UNSW (2005 – 2009)

PhD from HKUST (2012 – 2017)

Before we go further, let SMEC 2010 - 2012

Private Consultant 2017 - Present

Binus University 2018 - Present

BASIC SOIL MECHANICS KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

EFFECTIVE STRESS EFFECTIVE STRESS

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 9 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 11

EFFECTIVE STRESS Calculating Effective Stress

• We need to remember that soil is governed by effective stress 18 / 5m 18 / 5m 18 / 5m

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 10 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 12

Calculating Effective Stress TABLE OF CONTENT

• Interpretation of triaxial test

Soil is Like Humans

Effective stress is the average net

PURPOSE, WHY WE DO THIS TEST?

Over 600 pages STIFFNESS VS STRENGTH

Steel: Stiff and strong

Examples taken from Atkinson (2007)

TRIAXIAL APPARATUS - UNASSEMBLED

Small O rings & pieces of tubing Larger O rings

which goes to the top pedestal

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 21

TRIAXIAL APPARATUS - LOAD CELL AND TRIAXIAL APPARATUS

Load cell measures the force Displacement measuring device to

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 25 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING

TRIAXIAL APPARATUS TRIAXIAL APPARATUS -

Middle part Rods that connect top

Pore pressure transducer to Pore pressure transducer to

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 26 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 28

Sizes mentioned by Bolton,

Soil specimen is mounted inside the triaxial chamber https://www.gdsinstruments.com/gds-

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 31

COMMENTS ON SOIL SPECIMEN SIZE COMMENTS ON SOIL SPECIMEN SIZE

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 30 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 32

COMMENTS ON SOIL SPECIMEN SIZE COMMENTS ON SOIL SPECIMEN SIZE

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 33 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 35

COMMENTS ON SOIL SPECIMEN SIZE TRIAXIAL APPARATUS BASE SETUP

Red valves has tube connected to

Black valves has tubes connected

The valves controls fluid

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 34 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 36

TRIAXIAL APPARATUS ASSEMBLY SPECIMEN PREPARATION FROM UDS

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 37 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 39

SPECIMEN PREPARATION FROM UDS SPECIMEN PREPARATION FROM UDS (2)

SPECIMEN PREPARATION FROM UDS (2) SPECIMEN PREPARATION FROM UDS

Mini soil lathe

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 41 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 43

SPECIMEN PREPARATION FROM UDS (2) SPECIMEN PREPARATION – REMOULDED SAMPLE

Measure the height and diameter of the remolded specimen

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 42 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 44

SPECIMEN PREPARATION – SAND SAMPLE SPECIMEN PREPARATION – SAND SAMPLE

Using different number of layer is justifiable depending on the target relative

A higher number of layers will achieve a higher relative

GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 45 GEOTECHNICAL ANTGINEERING Pg. 47

SPECIMEN PREPARATION – SAND SAMPLE SPECIMEN PREPARATION – SAND SAMPLE

SPECIMEN PREPARATION – SAND SAMPLE SPECIMEN PREPARATION – SAND SAMPLE

SPECIMEN PREPARATION – SAND SAMPLE APPARATUS ASSEMBLY

Apply -10 kPa negative pressure to the sand sample to keep it

APPLY VACUUM GREASE PLACEMENT OF BOTTOM FILTER PAPER

Use a thin film of vacuum grease on the large O