 Field Vane Shear test is a quick method

to estimate undrained shear strength of

soft saturated clays
 One of the most widely used test
 A four-bladed vane is inserted into the
ground and rotated counter clockwise
to measure the resisting torque
 Peak and residual strengths are
measured
 The standard vane has a
height-to-diameter ratio of 2
(H/D=2) and is 55 or 65 mm
in diameter and 110 or 130 mm
in height
 Standard blades consist of
1.95 mm thick, high-strength
steel plate welded to a steel
rod
Procedure – ASTM D2573
 The vane is pushed into the ground to the desired depth and is rotated at a
standard rate of O.l degrees per second and the torque is measured
 Vane can be inserted from bottom of a borehole or may be pushed directly
into the ground
 Soil is failed along a cylindrical surface circumscribed in circle
with diameter equal to diameter of vane blades
 The peak torque developed is related to the peak shear strength of the soil
which is function of shape and dimension of blades
 After the peak torque has been measured, the blades are rotated rapidly
several times (about 10 times) to measure the residual strength
 Process is repeated for the next depth; usually, a test can be done every
0.5m
 Procedure - ASTM D2573
 zabardast peak
daigi
 Undrained shear strength
estimated by is Peak ni daigi and
using relation: the following torque bhi km hoga

where T = torque measured, and

D = diameter of vane blades
 Sensitivity (St) of soil can be
ascertained by diving peak strength
with residual strength
S = s (FV) / s (FV)
 Results
 Influences
 Blade Thickness
○ Insertion blades
Jitni thickness ziada
disturbance
of of causes
soil Utni disturbance ziada
Utni Shear strength kum
○ Thicker the blades,
will be the disturbance and
more
thus less strength will be
indicated

SMIEP,3rd Edition, 1996

 Influences
 Wait Time
○ Insertion of blades generates excess porewater pressure
○ With time, this excess porewater pressure dissipates and
the soil strength increases

SMIEP, 3rd Edition, 1996

  Correlations

Su can be found
from equation
And than Plasticity
Index and pre-
consolidation
pressure can be
found if one is
known of the two

SMIEP, 3rd Edition, 1996

 Correlations

PI kum: means FS kum tou u

ziada

PI ziada tou FS
ziada tou u kum

SMIEP, 3rd Edition, 1996

 Correlations

Not unconfined
compressive strength