EAG 345 – GEOTECHNICAL

ANALYSIS

(iv) Determination of shear strength

parameters of soils (2)

By: Dr Mohd Ashraf Mohamad Ismail

Types of Triaxial Tests deviatoric stress

c
( = q)
Step 1 Step 2

c c
c c

c  c+ q
Under all-around cell pressure c Shearing (loading)

Is the drainage valve open? Is the drainage valve open?

yes no yes no

Consolidated Unconsolidated Drained Undrained

sample sample loading loading
 Types of Triaxial Tests
Step 1 Step 2

Under all-around cell pressure c Shearing (loading)

Is the drainage valve open? Is the drainage valve open?

yes no yes no

Consolidated Unconsolidated Drained Undrained

sample sample loading
loading

CD test UU test

CU test
 Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
Data analysis
Specimen condition
Initial specimen condition during shearing

C = 3
No drainage 3 + d
No drainage
C = 3
3

Initial volume of the sample = A0 × H0

Volume of the sample during shearing = A × H

Since the test is conducted under undrained condition,

A × H = A0 × H0
A0
A ×(H0 – H) = A0 × H0
A
A ×(1 – H/H0) = A0
1  z
 Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
Step 1: Immediately after sampling
0

Step 2: After application of hydrostatic cell pressure

C = 3 ’3 = 3 - uc
No drainage
C = 3 ’3 = 3 - uc
= uc +

uc = B 3
Increase of cell pressure
Increase of pwp due to increase
of cell pressure
Skempton’s pore water
pressure parameter, B

Note: If soil is fully saturated, then B = 1 (hence, uc = 3)

 Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
Step 3: During application of axial load
 '1   3   d  uc ud
3 + d
No drainage
3  '3   3  uc ud
= +
uc ± ud

ud = ABd
Increase of pwp due to increase of Increase of deviator stress
deviator stress

Skempton’s pore water

pressure parameter, A
 Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
Combining steps 2 and 3,

uc = B 3 ud = ABd

Total pore water pressure increment at any stage, u

u = uc + ud

u = B [3 + Ad]

u = B [3 + A(1 – 3]

Skempton’s pore
water pressure
equation
 Typical values for parameter B

f (saturation)

Degree of
saturation
Typical values for parameter A
 Relation between effective and total stress criteria

Three identical saturated soil samples are sheared to failure in UU triaxial tests. Each sample
is subjected to a different cell pressure. No water can drain at any stage. At failure the Mohr
circles are found to be as shown


3 1
 Relation between effective and total stress criteria

Three identical saturated soil samples are sheared to failure in UU triaxial tests. Each sample
is subjected to a different cell pressure. No water can drain at any stage. At failure the Mohr
circles are found to be as shown
t


3 1

We find that all the total stress Mohr circles are the same size, and therefore fu = 0
and t = su = cu = constant
Relation between effective and total stress criteria
Because each sample is at failure, the fundamental effective stress failure condition
must also be satisfied. As all the circles have the same size there must be only one
effective stress Mohr circle

t  c'   n tan f'

t


 3  1 3 1
Relation between effective and total stress criteria

• The different total stress Mohr circles with a single effective

stress Mohr circle indicate that the pore pressure is different for
each sample.

• As discussed previously increasing the cell pressure without

allowing drainage has the effect of increasing the pore pressure
by the same amount (u = c) with no change in effective
stress.

• The change in pore pressure during shearing is a function of the

initial effective stress and the moisture content. As these are
identical for the three samples an identical strength is obtained.
 Significance of undrained strength parameters

• It is often found that a series of undrained tests from a

particular site give a value of fu that is not zero (cu not
constant). If this happens either
– the samples are not saturated, or
– the samples have different moisture contents

• If the samples are not saturated analyses based on

undrained behaviour will not be correct

• The undrained strength cu is not a fundamental soil

property. If the moisture content changes so will the
undrained strength.
 Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)

Effect of degree of saturation on failure envelope

t S < 100% S > 100%

3c 3b 1c 3a 1b 1a  or ’

 Some practical applications of UU analysis for clays

1. Embankment constructed rapidly over a soft clay deposit

Soft clay

t t = in situ undrained
shear strength
 Some practical applications of UU analysis for clays

2. Large earth dam constructed rapidly with no change in

water content of soft clay

t
Core

t = Undrained shear strength of

clay core
 Some practical applications of UU analysis for clays

3. Footing placed rapidly on clay deposit

t = In situ undrained shear strength

Note: UU test simulates the short term condition in the field.

Thus, cu can be used to analyze the short term behavior of
soils
 Unconfined Compression Test (UC Test)

1 = VC + 

3 = 0

Confining pressure is zero in the UC test

 Unconfined Compression Test (UC Test)

1 = VC + f

Shear stress, t
3 = 0

qu

Normal stress, 

Note: Theoritically qu = cu , However in the actual case qu < cu due

to premature failure of the sample
 Other laboratory shear tests

 Direct simple shear test

 Torsional ring shear test

 Plane strain triaxial test

 Other laboratory shear tests

 Direct simple shear test

 Torsional ring shear test

 Plane strain triaxial test

 Direct simple shear test

Porous Spiral wire

Soil specimen in rubber
stones
membrane

Direct shear test

f = 80 mm
Direct simple shear test
 Other laboratory shear tests

 Direct simple shear test

 Torsional ring shear test

 Plane strain triaxial test

 Torsional ring shear test

t tf
f’max

f’res
Peak
Residual

Shear displacement ’
 Torsional ring shear test

N

Preparation of ring shaped

undisturbed samples is very
difficult. Therefore, remoulded
samples are used in most cases
 Other laboratory shear tests

 Direct simple shear test

 Torsional ring shear test

 Plane strain triaxial test

 Plane strain triaxial test

’1

’1, 1

’3, 3
’2, 2

’2 Specimen ’2

Plane strain test
’2 ≠ ’3
2 = 0 ’3

Rigid platens
 Drained and undrained conditions

• DRAINED condition occurs when there is no change in pore water pressure

due to external loading

• In a drained condition, the pore water can drain out of the soil easily,
causing volumetric strains in the soil

• UNDRAINED condition occurs when the pore water is unable to drain out of
the soil

• In undrained condition the rate of loading is much quicker than the rate at
which the pore water is able to drain out of the soil

• As a result, most of the external loading is taken by the pore water,

resulting in an increase in the pore water pressure.

• The tendency of soil to change in volume is suppressed during undrained

loading.
 Drained and undrained conditions

• The existence of either a drained or an undrained condition in a soil

depends on: ((i)soil types; fine-grained or coarse grained, (ii) geological
formation and (iii) rate of loading)

• For a rate of loading associated with a normal construction activity,

saturated coarse grained soils (e.g. sands and gravel) experience drained
conditions and saturated fine-grained soils (e.g. silts and clays) experience
undrained conditions

• If the rate of loading is fast enough (e.g. during an earthquake), even

coarse-grained soils can experience undrained loading, often resulting in
liquefaction.
 Example of undrained loading (Liquefaction)

When loading is rapidly applied and large enough such that it does not flow out in time
before the next cycle of load is applied, the water pressure may build to an extent where
they exceed the contact stresses between the grains of soil that keep them in contact
with each other. These contact between grains are the means by which the weight of the
buildings and overlying soil layers are transferred from the ground surface to layers of
soil or rock at greater depth. This loss of soil structure causes it to lose all of its strength
and it may be observed to flow like a liquid.
 Example of undrained loading (Liquefaction)

Uplift of sewerage during

Niigata earthquake 2004

Collapse of flat house during

the 1964 Niigata earthquake,
Japan.
 Drained and undrained conditions

• The shear strength of a fine-grained soil under undrained condition is called

the undrained shear strength and denoted as su.
• su is the radius of the Mohr’s circle of total stress:

• The undrained shear strength τ

1  f   3  f
su 
depends only on the initial void 2
ratio or the initial water content of su
the soil
 3  f  1  f
σ, σ’

Total stress circle

 Drained and undrained conditions

• The undrained shear strength is not a fundamental soil parameter.

• Its value depends on the values of the initial confining stresses.

τ
• An increase in initial
confining stresses causes a su1
decrease in void ratio and su 2
an increase in undrained  3  f  3  f  1  f  1  f
shear strength σ, σ’
Selection of shear strength parameter – Drained or
undrained ?

When designing a geotechnical structure, both

undrained and drained conditions must be considered
to determine which one is more critical

CU with pore
water pressure
measurement
 Drained and Undrained shear strength

Condition Drained Undrained

Excess porewater pressure 0 Not zero; could be positive or

negative
Volume change Compression Positive excess porewater pressure

Expansion Negative excess porewater pressure

Consolidation Yes, fine grained soil No

Compression Yes Yes, but lateral expansion must occur

so that the volume change is zero
Analysis Effective stress (EFA) Total stress (TSA)

Design parameters f 'cs (or f ' p ) Su

Homework: Do reading from page 243 – 245 (Section 7.8) – Soil mechanics and foundations