GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY

REPORTS ON –

(1) DIRECT SHEAR TEST

(2) ATTERBERG’S LIMIT TEST
(3) DETERMINATION OF SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SOIL
(4) COMPACTION TEST
(5) CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO TEST
(6) FIELD DENSITY OF SOIL
(a) CORE CUTTER METHOD
(b) SAND POURING METHOD
(7) UNCONFINED COMPRESSION STRENGTH TEST
(8) TRIAXIAL TEST
 DIRECT SHEAR TEST
The shear strength of a soil is its maximum resistance to shearing stresses. When this
Resistance is exceeded failure occurs, usually taking the form of surfaces of slip. Shear
Strength is usually assumed to be made up of :-
(1) Internal friction or the resistance due to the interlocking of the particles.
(2) Cohesion of the resistance due to the forces tending to hold the particles
together in a solid mass.

coulomb’s law :- S = C+ Ϭ tanΦ

 ATTERBERG LIMIT TEST

:-To determination of the liquid limit and plastic limit of soil

The atterberg limit tests are important in classifying fine grained plastic soils.

plasticity index = liquid limit – plastic limit

Shrinkage index = plastic limit –shrinkage limit
Flow index = slope of the flow curve
Toughness index = plasticity index/flow index
Liquidity index = (natural water content –plastic limit)/Plasticity index
Consistency index = (liquid limit-natural water content)/plasticity index

PI Degree of plasticity Nature of soil

0 Non plastic Sand

<7 Low plastic Silt
7 – 17 Medium plastic Silty clay or Clayey silt
> 17 Highly plastic Clay
 DETERMINATION OF SPECIFIC GRAVITY
OF SOIL
Specific gravity:-

Where, W1= wt of empty flask

W2= wt of flask+dried soil
W3= wt offlask+dried soil+water up to mark
W4= wt of flask+watet up to mark
 COMPACTION TEST

:-To study the effect of various methods of compaction on the optimum moisture
content and dry unit weight of a soil.

Dry density= (wet density×100)/(100+Wc)

 CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO TEST

:-To design the thickness of flexible pavements on ground compacted to the desired extent.
This is a measure of relative stability of soils and base minerals.
 FIELD DENSITY OF SOIL

(a) Core cutter method – used for cohesive soil

(b) Sand Pouring Method
TRIAXIAL TEST