Experiment 4 - Geolab

Laboratory Experiment No.
4
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
LABORATORY EXPERIMENT NO. 4

DIRECT SHEAR TEST
CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LAB)
CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

1
Laboratory Experiment No. 4
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
INTRODUCTION
One of the oldest and first type of determining the shear strength of soil is the Direct
Shear Test. Mohr discovered that the unparalleled combination of the normal and shearing stress
causes a failure on the plane of the soil. It is critical to know the right amount of horizontal and
vertical force to avoid failure, knowing only the maximum and minimum stress cannot stand
alone. Since the horizontal and vertical planes are interrelated, a certain angle (φ) can be drawn
from the two forces of normal and shear. This angle is called the angle of internal friction. This
angle is the result of the strength gained from internal friction resistance. Since there are various
types of sand, silt and gravel, there is a range of values for each. (See Table 12.1)
Mohr based his research from Coulomb’s book quote, “Essai sur une application des
règles des maximis et minimis à quelques problèmes de statique relatifs à l'architecture (
Test on an application of the rules of maximis and minimis to some problems of statics relating
to the architecture)” to determine the relationship of all the independent variables. He
substantiated the Mohr’s Circle Diagram we know today for calculating the shear stress, normal
stress, major principal stress, minor principal stress, deviator stress of a soil depending on the
parameters given. (See Figure 12.3)

2
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
The Shear Strength of Soil is one of the most important thing to consider in analyzing the
stability of soil. The internal resistance per unit area is the capacity of a soil to resist failure. It
can be attributed to three properties: a) the sliding resistance of soil with a solid particle, b)
Cohesion (same soil type) and Adhesion (with different soil type or surface) of two particles c)
Deformation of the soil.
One must be knowledgeable with the shear strength of soil because this is used to analyze
the stability of a soil. It can be applied in slope stability, bearing capacity of soil, foundations of
a structure (footing) and earth retaining structures.
OBJECTIVES
1. To perform the direct shear test using strain direct shear apparatus.
2. To determine the shear strength properties of soil cohesion and angle of internal friction.
STANDARD REFERENCE
ASTM D 3080 – Standard Test Method for Direct Shear Test of Soils Under Consolidated
Drained Conditions.
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
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 (f)). 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 maximum shear stresses
versus the vertical (normal) confining stresses for each of the tests is produced. From the plot, a
straight-line approximation of the Mohr-Coulomb failure envelope curve can be drawn, f may be
determined, and, for cohesionless soils (c = 0), the shear strength can be computed from the
following equation: s = s tanf

3
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
APPARATUS AND MATERIALS (See figure)
Direct Shear Device
Shear Box
Weighing Scale

4
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
TEST SPECIMEN
Granular Soil (Sand)
TEST PROCEDURE (METHODOLOGY)
1. Before proceeding to the experiment, the following scopes are to be considered to assure
accurate and best results.
Figure 1: ASTM D 3080 – Standard Test Method for Direct Shear Test of Soils Under Consolidated Drained
Conditions.1

5
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
2. A fine well graded granular sand is carefully selected to be

used as a test specimen. The initial mass of the empty
cylindrical vessel can is then measured. The sand is placed
in the can and the mass is measured together with the vessel.
The mass of sand can be calculated as (Mass of Can + Sand)
- (Mass of Can) = Mass of Sand.
3. The shear box is carefully disassembled from the direct

shear apparatus. The dimension of the shear box is
measured. Using a caliper, the inner diameter of the shear
box is measured. The height of the shear box from the inside
can be measured using a ruler. A 15% of the diameter in
millimeters is needed to allow a displacement for the
computation.
4. The sand is placed in the shear box. A filter paper is placed

on top of the sand. A porous stone is also placed on top of
the filter paper.
5. The shear box is prudently placed and assembled on the

direct shear device. This is done carefully to avoid the sand
from spilling from the vessel.
6. The screws from the alignment for the shear box is taken
away. The gap of the shear box is more or less 0.025in. The
gap is unbolted with the gap screws, the gap screws are then
returned.
7. The mass of the soil is recorded again

using the same formula, (Mass of Can
+ Sand) - (Mass of Can) = Mass of
Sand.
8. The apparatus is then bring together

completely, three gages are then set to
zero in the dial gage, these are
horizontal and vertical gage; and shear
load gage.
9. A prearranged value is set for the

vertical load. A mass is placed on the hook under the apparatus. The bleeder valve is then
closed.

6
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
10. Using the electronic dialing machine, the motor of

the apparatus is started with a constant speed. The
screen is then monitored by taking a video so that
the values can be plotted correctly and accurately
without missing a data. The readings of the 3 gages
are then tabulated and plotted.
11. Three tests are made using 3 different prearranged

masses of vertical loads until the horizontal
displacement reaches 15% or the horizontal shear
capacity reaches its maximum or minimum.

7
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
DATA, RESULTS, AND COMPUTATIONS:
Shear Box inside Diameter: 6 cm

Area (A): 9π cm 2 = 4.382530517 ¿2
Shear Box Height: 3.6 cm
Soil Volume: 101.787602 cm3\
Mass of soil and pan: 172g
Mass of soil: 156g
g
Density of soil: 1.532603155 3
cm
Normal Stress: 0.6493055556 psi

TIME HORIZONTAL HORIZONTAL SHEAR STRESS
(s) DISPLACEMENT (mm) SHEAR FORCE (N) (psi)
0 0 0 0
5 0.20 2 0.104
10 0.39 2 0.104
15 0.59 2 0.104
20 0.80 2 0.104
25 0.98 2 0.104
30 1.22 2 0.104
35 1.39 4 0.208
40 1.56 4 0.208
45 1.78 4 0.208

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DIRECT SHEAR TEST

0 0 0 0
5 0.20 2 0.104
10 0.45 3 0.156
15 0.62 5 0.260
20 0.97 8 0.416
25 1.15 10 0.520
30 1.33 10 0.520
35 1.49 10 0.520
40 1.64 11 0.572
45 1.83 12 0.624

0 0 0 0
5 0.11 1 0.052
10 0.32 1 0.052
15 0.53 4 0.208
20 0.75 5 0.260
25 0.92 5 0.260
30 1.12 9 0.468
35 1.33 10 0.520
40 1.57 11 0.570
45 1.78 13 0.676

9
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
COMPUTATIONS:
Trial 1:
Nv
Sv =
A
1.275 x 2.2 lbs
Sv = 2
4.382530517 ¿
Sv =0.6493055556 psi
Fh
τ=
A
2 x 0.2248 lbs
τ=
4.382530517 ¿2
τ =0.1025891316 psi
Trial 2:
Nv
Sv =
A
2.55 x 2.2 lbs
Sv = 2
4.382530517 ¿
Sv =1.280082358 psi
Fh
τ=
A
2 x 0.2248 lbs
τ=
4.382530517 ¿2
τ =0.1025891316 psi

10
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
Trial 3:
Nv
Sv =
A
3.825 x 2.2 lbs
Sv = 2
4.382530517 ¿
Sv =1.920123538 psi
Fh
τ=
A
1 x 0.2248
τ=
4.382530517 ¿2
τ =0.05129456581 psi
Sample Plot of Horizontal Shear Stress vs. Horizontal Displacement
Trial 1: Shear Stress vs. Horizontal Displacement

0.25
0.208 0.208 0.208

0.2
horizontal shear stress (PSI)
0.15
0.104 0.104 0.104 0.104 0.104 0.104

0.1
0.05
0
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
Horizontal displacement (in)

11
DIRECT SHEAR TEST

0.7
0.624
0.6 0.572
0.52 0.52 0.52
0.5
0.416
0.4
0.3 0.26
0.2 0.156
0.104
0.1
0
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2

0.8
0.676
0.7
0.6 0.57
0.52
0.5 0.468
0.4
0.3 0.26 0.26

0.208
0.2
0.1 0.052 0.052

0
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2

12
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
Peak Shear Stress:

Trial 1: 0.208 psi
Trial 2: 0.624 psi
Trial 3: 0.676 psi
Normal Stress:
Trial 1: 0.6493055556 psi
Trial 2: 1.280082358 psi
Trial 3: 1.920123538 psi
Sample Plot of Shear Stress vs. Normal Stress

0.8
0.676
0.7
0.624
0.6
0.5
shear stress (PSI)
0.4
0.3
0.208
0.2
0.1
0
0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
Normal Stress (PSI)
Using regression: y=mx+c

y= (0.3675641993) x+0.0310191351
(Since c≈0, rewrite equation to y=0.3675641993x) → c=0, cohesionless
tan φ = m

13
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
φ = tan-1(0.3675641993)
φ =20.18162068 °
DISCUSSION OF RESULT AND CONCLUSION

Results showed that the vertical force is correlated directly with the horizontal force.
Having balance for the horizontal and vertical forces is required for the soil not to shear or fail.
Initially, a sand was chosen carefully, it was run in a sieve #4 pan to remove the excess large
particles and impurities. The mass of the soil was then weighed. The shear box height and
diameter were measured to determine the volume of the sand. The density of the soil was
m g
calculated using the formula ρ = . The density of the soil is 1.532603155 3 . The soil was
v cm
then placed inside the shear box together with the filter paper and a porous stone. The shear box
was assembled together with the direct shear apparatus. Consequently, the apparatus’ dial gage
were set to 0 for the horizontal, vertical and shear load gage. The machine was then run in a
normal constant speed. The displacement showing on the screen of the apparatus was then
monitored until such the diameter of the shear box has already displaced 15%. Three trials were
made with different weights which are 1.275kg, 2.55kg, and 3.825kg, this is to better show how
increasing the vertical load can directly affect the horizontal force.
The results of the horizontal displacement (mm), horizontal shear force (N), and shear
stress (psi) were tabulated. The displacement and shear stress were then plotted in an x vs. y
N
plane. The normal stress was calculated with the formula: sv = v , where sv is the vertical
A
N
stress, v is the vertical load and A is the area of the shear box. The shearing stress was
F
calculated with the formula: τ = h , where τ is the horizontal stress, F h is the horizontal load,
A
and A is the area of the shear box. The peak shear force was selected from the 3 tables. The shear
stress and normal stress was plotted in an X vs. Y plot and the best fit line was drawn from the
graph. Using the regression formula, the equation of the line is y = 0.3675641993x +
0.0310191351, the intercept can be assumed zero. Getting the tangent of the slope gives the
relationship of the horizontal and vertical stress. This is called the angle of internal friction. The
angle calculated is φ =20.18162068 °. The test sample selected is a sand which has a less
property in cohesion, the particles of sand does not bind with each other. A semi-circle was
drawn from the top of the peak shear stress, this represents as the Mohr’s circle of the selected
granular sand. Basing from table 12.1, the angle of internal friction calculated is an outlier, this is
just a basis of some common sands. The minimal error may be caused by the erroneous setup of
the machine and some human error.
It can be concluded safely that a drained sand is cohesionless and there is a direct
relationship between the normal and horizontal stress. It should be in right balance to avoid

14
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
failure of the soil from shearing. The test is done for the applications of analyzing the soil to
avoid any soil and foundation failures in the field.
REFERENCES:
ASTM D3080 / D3080M-11, Standard Test Method for Direct Shear Test of Soils Under
Consolidated Drained Conditions, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2011.
Retrieved from: www.astm.org
Das, B., & Sobhan, K. (2014). Principles of Geotechnical Engineering (8th ed.). Chapter 12:
Shear Strength of Soil (pp. 429-437). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Guwahati, Iit. (2009, December 31). Methods of Shear Strength Determination. Retrieved from:
http://nptel.ac.in/courses/105103097/45
Hadjuk, Edward L. (2013). Shear Strength of Soil. Retrieved from:

shttp://faculty.uml.edu/ehajduk/Teaching/14.330/documents/14.3302013ShearStrength.pdf
Reddy, Krishna R. (2002). Engineering Properties of Soils Based on Laboratory Testing.

Retrieved from: http://cemmlab.webhost.uic.edu/Experiment%2012-Direct%20Shear.pdf

15
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
GROUP # 7:
Group Members:
Berroya, Lorenz Cedric - Data and Results
Federizo, Rodrigo - Introduction
Fulton John Michael - Conclusion
Jucutan, Roy Michael - Discussion of Results and Reference
Quiobo, Amond Eve - Methodology
Rosario, Ryan - Computation and Tabulation
Valdez, Adrienne - Pictures, Computations and Methodology

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Laboratory Experiment No.

LABORATORY EXPERIMENT NO. 4

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LAB)

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

APPARATUS AND MATERIALS (See figure)

Direct Shear Device

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

Granular Soil (Sand)

TEST PROCEDURE (METHODOLOGY)

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

2. A fine well graded granular sand is carefully selected to be

3. The shear box is carefully disassembled from the direct

4. The sand is placed in the shear box. A filter paper is placed

5. The shear box is prudently placed and assembled on the

7. The mass of the soil is recorded again

8. The apparatus is then bring together

9. A prearranged value is set for the

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

10. Using the electronic dialing machine, the motor of

11. Three tests are made using 3 different prearranged

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

DATA, RESULTS, AND COMPUTATIONS:

Shear Box inside Diameter: 6 cm

Normal Stress: 0.6493055556 psi

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

Normal Stress: 1.280082358 psi

Normal Stress: 1.920123538 psi

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

Sample Plot of Horizontal Shear Stress vs. Horizontal Displacement

Trial 1: Shear Stress vs. Horizontal Displacement

0.208 0.208 0.208

0.104 0.104 0.104 0.104 0.104 0.104

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

Trial 2: Shear Stress vs. Horizontal Displacement

Trial 3: Shear Stress vs. Horizontal Displacement

0.3 0.26 0.26

0.1 0.052 0.052

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

Peak Shear Stress:

Sample Plot of Shear Stress vs. Normal Stress

Using regression: y=mx+c

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

DISCUSSION OF RESULT AND CONCLUSION

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

Hadjuk, Edward L. (2013). Shear Strength of Soil. Retrieved from:

Reddy, Krishna R. (2002). Engineering Properties of Soils Based on Laboratory Testing.

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

CE152L – GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 2 (LABORATORY)

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