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Shear failure
Soils generally fail in shear
embankment
strip footing
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What is Shear Strength of a
Soil?
Shear Strength: - the internal
resistance per unit area that the soil
mass can offer to resist failure and
sliding along any plane inside it
Shear failure
failure surface
The soil grains slide over
each other along the
failure surface.
No crushing of
individual grains.
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Shear failure
τ
σ
τ f = f (σ )
The failure envelop developed by the above eqn is a
curved line but can be approximated as a linear
function
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Failure envelop as a linear
function (based on total stress)
As a linear function, the failure envelop is
expressed as (Mohr – Coulomb failure
criterion)
τ f = c + σ tan φ
τ f = c ′ + σ ′ tan φ ′
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Mohr-Coulomb Failure
Criterion
τ
τ f = c + σ tan φ
lop
e φ
nve
i l u re e
f a
friction angle
cohesion
τf
c
σ
σ
τf is the maximum shear stress the soil can take without
failure, under normal stress of σ.
Mohr-Coulomb Failure
Criterion
Shear strength consists of two
τ components: cohesive and frictional.
τf
τ f = c + σ f tan φ
σf tan φ
φ ompo
nen
t frictional
component
c
sive
c c c ohe
σf σ
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c and φ are measures of shear strength.
Y
X X
Y Soil elements at
σ
different locations
X ~ failure
Y ~ stable
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Mohr Circles & Failure Envelope
The soil element does not fail if
the Mohr circle is contained
within the envelope
GL
∆σ
σc
Y σc
σc σc+∆σ
∆σ
GL
∆σ
σc
Y σc
σc
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Orientation of Failure Plane
Failure plane
Y oriented at 45 + φ/2
to horizontal
45 + φ/2
GL
45 + φ/2
∆σ
σc φ
Y σc 90+φ
σc σc+∆σ
σh σh’ u
X
= X
+ X
effective stresses
total stresses
σh’ σv’ σh σv
u
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Envelopes in terms of σ & σ’
Identical specimens
initially subjected to
different isotropic stresses
∆σf
(σc) and then loaded
σc σc
axially to failure
σc σc
uf
Initially… Failure
c, φ
At failure,
in terms of σ
σ3 = σc; σ1 = σc+∆σ
∆σf
c’, φ’
σ 3’ = σ 3 – u f ; σ 1’ = σ 1 - u f
in terms of σ’
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Triaxial Tests Apparatus
piston (to apply deviatoric stress)
failure plane
O-ring
impervious
membrane
soil sample at
failure
porous
stone
perspex cell
water
cell pressure
pore pressure or
back pressure
pedestal volume change
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20
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Specimen under chamber confining pressure (cell pressure)
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Specimen under deviator stress application
∆σd
σ3
σ3
σ3
σ3
σd
∆σ
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Different Types of Triaxial Tests
piston (to apply deviatoric stress)
O-ring
impervious
membrane
porous
stone
perspex cell
water
cell pressure
pore pressure or
back pressure
pedestal volume change
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yes no yes no
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Types of Triaxial Tests
Depending on whether drainage is allowed
or not during
initial isotropic cell pressure application, and
shearing,
there are three special types of triaxial tests
that have practical significances. They are:
For unconsolidated
undrained test, in
terms of total
stresses, φu = 0
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CD, CU and UU Triaxial Tests
Consolidated Drained (CD) Test
no excess pore pressure throughout the test
very slow shearing to avoid build-up of pore
pressure
Can be days!
∴ not desirable
gives c’ and φ’
gives c’ and φ’
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CD, CU and UU Triaxial Tests
Unconsolidated Undrained (UU) Test
pore pressure develops during shear
Not measured = 0; i.e., failure envelope
∴σ’ unknown is horizontal
analyse in terms of σ gives cu and φu
very quick test
σ3 σ1
σ 1 = σ 3 tan 2 ( 45 + φ / 2) + 2c tan( 45 + φ / 2)
σ 3 = σ 1 tan 2 ( 45 − φ / 2) − 2c tan( 45 − φ / 2)
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σv
Stress Point
σh X
τ t stress point
stress point
(σv-σh)/2
σh σv σ s
(σv+σh)/2
σv −σh
t=
2
σv +σh
s=
2
Stress Path
During loading…
Stress path is
the locus of
τ t stress points
Stress path
σ s
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Why Stress Path Tests?
Allow engineer to replicate the changes
in stress conditions experienced during:
1. Excavations
2. Constructions
3. Natural events
35
Failure Envelopes
τ t failure
φ tan-1 (sin φ)
σ s
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Pore Pressure Parameters
B = f (saturation,..)
For saturated soils, B ≈ 1.
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Engineering & the Built Environment: Civil Engineering
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Engineering & the Built Environment: Civil Engineering
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