Module 1: Shear Strength of soil

Prepared by:

Engr. Vuangh Erick B. Barrantes, MSc.

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CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
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Concrete - Compressive Strength Soil – Shear Strength ??

Steel - Tensile Strength But with presence of pore water it
becoming a complex behavior.
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CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
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The shear strength of a soil mass is the internal resistance

per unit area that the soil mass can offer to resist failure and
sliding along any plane inside it.
Mobilized shear
Soil Particles make contacts with adjacent particles so that
resistance
friction develops. Then…

• Shear Strength is the ultimate or maximum shear stress Failure

the soil can withstand. surface
• Shear Strength is the internal resistance of soil to shear
failure.
• Shear strength is defined as the shear force at failure per
unit area of the failure plane.

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL

…But soil generally fail in shear

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At failure, shear stress (𝜏) along the failure surface

reaches the shear strength (𝜏f).

At failure the soil grains slide over each other along the
failure surface. No crushing of individual grains.

Failure Surface

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL

Mohr–Coulomb Failure Criterion Mohr–Coulomb Failure Criterion

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(in terms of Total Stresses… moist/wet condition) (in terms of effective stress… saturated condition)
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f = shear stress on the failure plane
 = normal stress on the failure plane (total vertical stress)
c = cohesion
Φ = angle of internal friction
f = shear stress on the failure plane
‘ = effective vertical stress
c’ = cohesion based on effective stress
Φ’ = angle of internal friction based on effective stress
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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL

Mohr–Coulomb Failure Criterion

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(in terms of effective stress… saturated condition)

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Shear Strength is a function of:

• Cohesion between soil grains
• Frictional resistance between soil grains
• Effective normal stress on the failure plane

Shear strength is used to analyze:

• Bearing capacity of shallow or deep foundations
• Slope stability
• Retaining walls

Note: c’ and Φ’ are measures of strength. Higher values, higher the shear
strength.

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Inclination of the Plane of

Failure Caused by Shear

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CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
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σ’ 𝜏
𝜏

σ’

σ1’ = Effective major principal stress fh = failure envelope

Maximum principal/Normal/Axial Stress  = friction angle
σ 3’ = Effective minor principal stress
Minimum principal Stress
f = Shear stress on the failure plane
Cell/confining/chamber pressure
Lateral pressure ‘ = Effective vertical stress
EF = failure plane
θ = Angle with the major principal plane 8
CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL

′ ′ ′ ′
σ’ 𝜏 𝜎1 + 𝜎3 𝜎1 − 𝜎3
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′
𝝈 = + cos 2 𝜃
2 2
𝜎1 ′ − 𝜎3 ′
𝝉= sin 2 𝜃
2
𝜑′
𝜃 = 45 +
2
𝜑 ′ 𝜑 ′
𝜏
𝝈𝟏 ′ = 𝜎3 ′ tan2 ( 45 + ) + 2𝑐 ′ tan( 45 + )
2 2
σ’
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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL

Mohr’s Circle and Failure Envelope

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DETERMINATION OF SHEAR
STRENGTH PARAMETERS OF
SOILS (c, ϕ or c’, ϕ’)

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL

Shear strength parameters are determined through:

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Laboratory Test on specimens taken from representative undisturbed samples.

The commonly used laboratory tests are

➢ Direct Shear Test

➢ Tri-axial Test

Field Test:

➢ Vane shear test

➢ Standard Penetration Test
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DIRECT SHEAR TEST

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
DIRECT SHEAR TEST
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The direct shear test is the oldest and simplest

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form of shear test arrangement.

The test equipment consists of a metal shear

box in which the soil specimen is placed. The
soil specimens may be square or circular in
plan. The size of the specimens generally used
is about 51 mm 51 mm or 102 mm 102 mm
across and about 25 mm high.

The box is split horizontally into halves. Normal

force on the specimen is applied from the top of
the shear box. The normal stress on the
specimens can be as great as 1050 kN/m2.
Shear force is applied by moving one-half of the
box relative to the other to cause failure in the
soil specimen. 14
 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
DIRECT SHEAR TEST RESULT shows such a plot for tests on a dry sand. The equation
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for the average line obtained from experimental results is

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It is important to note that, in dry sand,

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
DIRECT SHEAR TEST RESULT FOR SATURATED SOIL
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In the direct shear test arrangement, the shear

box that contains the soil specimen is generally
kept inside a container that can be filled with
water to saturate the specimen. A drained test is
made on a saturated soil specimen by keeping
the rate of loading slow enough so that the
excess pore water pressure generated in the soil
is dissipated completely by drainage.

Pore water from the specimen is drained through

two porous stones.
Note: A normally consolidated clay has zero cohesion when
completely saturated clay under σ’ = 0 behaves as a slurry

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TRIAXIAL SHEAR TEST

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
TRIAXIAL SHEAR TEST
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In this test, a soil specimen about 36 mm in

diameter and 76 mm long generally is used.

The specimen is encased by a thin rubber

membrane and placed inside a plastic
cylindrical chamber that usually is filled with
water. The specimen is subjected to a
confining pressure by compression of the
fluid in the chamber.

To cause shear failure in the specimen, one

must apply axial stress (sometimes called
deviator stress) through a vertical loading
ram.

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
TRIAXIAL SHEAR TEST
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5. Cell is
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1. Sampling
filled with
3. Setting up water
Tubes
the sample
in the triaxial
cell

2. Sample
4. Sample is
Extruder
Covered with
a rubber
membrane
and sealed

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
TRIAXIAL SHEAR TEST
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The axial load applied by the loading ram

corresponding to a given axial deformation is measured
by a proving ring or load cell attached to the ram.

The following three standard types of triaxial tests

generally are conducted:

1. Consolidated-drained test (CD test)

2. Consolidated-undrained test (CU test)
3. Unconsolidated-undrained test (UU test)

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TRIAXIAL SHEAR TEST

SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
CONSOLIDATED – DRAINED (CD) TEST
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In the CD test, the saturated specimen first is subjected to
an all around confining pressure, σ3’ , by compression of
the chamber fluid.
Now, if the connection to drainage is opened, dissipation of
the excess pore water pressure, and thus consolidation,
will occur. With time, uc will become equal to 0.
Next, the deviator stress, Δσd, on the specimen is
increased very slowly. The drainage connection is kept
open, and the slow rate of deviator stress application allows
complete dissipation of any pore water pressure that
developed as a result (ud = 0).
ud is the increase in pore water due to deviator stress Δσd

uc is the increase in pore water pressure due to confining

pressure σ3’ 22
 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
CONSOLIDATED – DRAINED (CD) TEST
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Failure plane will be inclined in the angle:

In Consolidated Drained
Total Stress = Effective Stress
u =0 in test, 𝜎 = 𝜎’
c = c’ and  = ’

Sometimes, cd and d are used as symbols

Normally Consolidated Clay 23

 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
CONSOLIDATED – DRAINED (CD) TEST
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The failure envelope obtained from drained triaxial

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tests of such overconsolidated clay specimens

shows two distinct branches (ab and bc).

The portion ab has a flatter slope with a cohesion

intercept, and the shear strength equation for this
branch can be written as:

The portion bc of the failure envelope represents a

normally consolidated stage of soil and follows the
equation
Overconsolidated Clay

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
CONSOLIDATED – DRAINED (CD) TEST
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Triaxial test results of two overconsolidated soil

specimens
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PROBLEM SOLVING:
SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL

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σ’
𝜏
PROBLEM SOLVING:
SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
CONSOLIDATED – UNDRAINED (CU) TEST
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Next, the deviator stress, Δσd, on the specimen is increased to

In the CD test, the saturated specimen first is subjected to
an all around confining pressure, σ3’ , by compression of
the chamber fluid.
Now, if the connection to drainage is opened, dissipation of
the excess pore water pressure, and thus consolidation,
will occur. With time, uc will become equal to 0.
cause shear failure. During this phase of the test, the drainage
line from the specimen is kept closed. Because drainage is not
permitted, the pore water pressure, ud, will increase.
During the test, simultaneous measurements of Δσd and ud are
made. The increase in the pore water pressure, ud, can be
expressed in a nondimensional form as:

Note: uc is the increase in pore water pressure due to

confining pressure σ3’ 28
 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
CONSOLIDATED – DRAINED (CD) TEST Shear strength parameters
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Total stress : c and 

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Effective stress : c’ and ’

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
CONSOLIDATED – DRAINED (CD) TEST
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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
UNCONSOLIDATED – UNDRAINED (UU) TEST
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In UU tests, drainage from the soil specimen is

As confining pressure is applied, the pore water pressure
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not permitted during the application of chamber of the specimen increases by uc (if drainage is
pressure σ3’. Because of the application of chamber prevented). This increase in the pore water pressure can
confining pressure (σ3’), the pore water pressure in be expressed as a nondimensional parameter in the form:
the soil specimen will increase by uc.

The test specimen is sheared to failure by the

application of deviator stress, Δσd, and drainage is
prevented. A further increase in the pore water
pressure (ud) will occur because of the deviator
stress (Δσd ) application.

Total pore water Pressure: Skempton’s

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 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
UNCONSOLIDATED – UNDRAINED (UU) TEST
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The added axial stress at failure (Δσd)f is

practically the same regardless of the chamber
confining pressure.

where cu is the undrained shear strength and is

equal to the radius of the Mohr’s circles. Note that
the  = 0 concept is applicable to only saturated
clays and silts.

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Saturated Clay
Unconfined Compression Test on

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 UCS on Saturated Clay
In this test, the confining pressure σ3 is 0. An axial load is
rapidly applied to the specimen to cause failure. At
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failure, the total minor principal stress is zero and the

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total major principal stress is σ1

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