SHEAR STRENGTH TESTS

(Determination of soil’s shear strength by laboratory and field tests)

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 (Determination of shear strength)
(Shear Strength Tests)

Most common shear strength tests

(Used in Pakistan)
 Direct Shear Test
 Tri-axial Compression Test
 Unconfined Compression Test
 Vane Shear Test
 Field 2
 Laboratory
 Determination of shear strength parameters 3

Laboratory tests on specimens Field tests

taken from representative
undisturbed samples

1. Vane shear test

Most common laboratory tests used to determine 2. Torvane
the shear strength parameters are, 3. Pocket penetrometer
4. Fall cone
1. Direct shear test 5. Pressuremeter
2. Triaxial shear test (Tri-axial compression test) 6. Static cone penetrometer
3. Unconfined compression test (UCS) 7. Standard penetration test

Other laboratory tests include,

Direct simple shear test, torsional ring shear test, plane strain tri-axial test,
laboratory vane shear test, laboratory fall cone test.
 Laboratory tests 4

Different Field Conditions

A representative
soil sample z
z
svc svc + Ds

shc shc or s3 shc shc

svc or s1 svc + Ds

Before construction After and during construction

 svc + Ds
Laboratory tests 5

Simulating field conditions shc shc

in the laboratory

st
tel
0

xia
svc svc + Ds

i-a
Tr
svc
0 0 shc shc

Di
re
t

ct
sh
ea
svc t

rt
0

es
t
Representative Step 1 svc
soil sample Set the specimen in
Step 2
taken from the the apparatus and
Apply the
site apply the initial
corresponding field
stress condition
stress conditions
Unconfined Compression Test on Cohesive
Soil (ASTM D-2166)

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 Unconfined Compression Test (UCT)

Purpose:

The primary purpose of this test is to determine the unconfined

compressive strength, which is then used to calculate the
unconsolidated undrained shear strength of the clay under unconfined
conditions. According to the ASTM standard, the unconfined
compressive strength (qu) is defined as the compressive stress at which
an unconfined cylindrical specimen of soil will fail in a simple
compression test. In addition, in this test method, the unconfined
compressive strength is taken as the maximum load attained per unit
area, or the load per unit area at 15% axial strain, whichever occurs
first during the performance of a test.

Standard Reference:
ASTM D 2166 - Standard Test Method for Unconfined Compressive
Strength of Cohesive Soil 7
Significance of UCT

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9
Unconfined Compression Test

Deviator Stress
Ds

Ds Failure

t= cu

Cu = qu/2

s1 sn

q u = s1
qu = Unconfined compressive strength
Cu = Undrained shear strength
Cu = qu/2
Unconfined Compression Test (UC Test)

s1 = sVC + Dsf

Shear stress, t
s3 = 0

qu

Normal stress, s

τf = σ1/2 = qu/2 = cu
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Unconfined Compression Test 12
Direct Shear Test

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 Direct shear test 14

Schematic diagram of the direct shear apparatus

Note: See Direct shear test step wise procedure from

practical copy
 Direct shear tests on sands 15

Direct shear test is most suitable for consolidated drained tests

specially on granular soils (e.g. sand) or stiff clays

Preparation of sand specimen

Porous
plates

Components of the shear box Preparation of a sand specimen

 Direct shear test 16

Preparation of a sand specimen

Pressure plate

Leveling the top surface of specimen Specimen preparation completed

 Direct shear test 17

P Steel ball
Test procedure
Pressure plate
Porous
plates

Proving ring to
measure
shear force

Step 1: Apply a vertical load to the specimen and wait for consolidation
Step 2: Lower box is subjected to a horizontal displacement at a constant rate
Direct Shear Test

Normal
Force N
t = T/A
Shearing s = N/A
D = Horizontal Displacement
Force
T

T Failure

D
Direct Shear Test

t t t
s3
s1 s2

t Failure t Failure
t Failure

D D D

Test # Normal Stress (sn) Shear at Failure (t)

1 √ √
2 √ √
3 √ √

f
s ta n f
t= c + n

t3
t1 t2
c
s1 s2 s3 sn
 Determination of 20
shear strength parameters c and f

Shear stress, t
Normal stress = s3
Normal stress = s2
Normal stress = s1
tf2
tf1
tf3
Shear displacement
Shear stress at failure, tf

Mohr-Coulomb
f failure envelope

Normal stress, s
 Direct shear tests on sands
Some important facts on strength parameters c and f of sand

Direct shear tests are

Sand is cohesionless drained and pore water
hence c = 0 pressures are dissipated,
hence u = 0

Therefore,
f’ = f and c’ = c = 0

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 Direct shear test on clays 22

In case of clay, horizontal displacement should be applied at a very

slow rate to allow dissipation of pore water pressure (therefore, one
test would take several days to finish)

Failure envelopes for clay from drained direct shear tests

Shear stress at failure, tf

Over-consolidated clay (c’ ≠ 0)

Normally consolidated clay (c’ = 0)

f’

Normal force, s
Soil Shear Strength

Soil is weak in shear so shear strength of soil is critical.

To determine the shear strength of soil Mohr-Coulomb Yield/failure Criterion is used

t
t = c + sn tan f Yield Surface

Angle of Friction
Soil Cohesion s tan f f
t=c+ n

c
sn

So for determination of soil strength, shear strength parameters ( c and f ) are

required, which are calculated by different laboratory and field shear strength
tests.
Direct shear test for dense and loose material
 Direct shear tests on dense and loose material 26
Stress-strain relationship

Dense sand/ OC
Shear stress, t tf clay
Loose sand/ NC
tf clay

Shear displacement
Expansion
Change in height
of the sample

Dense sand/OC Clay

Compression

Shear displacement
Loose sand/NC Clay
 Direct shear test 27

Analysis of test results

Normal force (P)

  Normal stress 
Area of cross section of the sample

Shear resistance developed at the sliding surface (S)

  Shear stress 
Area of cross section of the sample

Note: Cross-sectional area of the sample changes with

the horizontal displacement
 Drained and Un-drained test/Conditions 28

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.

Un-drained condition:
Occurs when the pore water is unable to drain out of the soil. In

an un-drained 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 volume is suppressed during un-drained loading.

 Interface tests on direct shear apparatus 29

In many foundation design problems and retaining wall problems,

it is required to determine the angle of internal friction between
soil and the structural material (concrete, steel or wood)
P

Soil
S

Foundation material

Where,
 f  ca    tan  ca = adhesion,
d = angle of internal friction
 Advantages 30
of direct shear test

• Advantages
– A quick and inexpensive test to obtain the shear strength
parameters of both fine and coarse grained soils either in
undisturbed or remolded state
– Ease of sample preparation
– Due to the smaller thickness of the sample, rapid drainage can
be achieved (drained tests)
– Can be used to determine interface strength parameters.
– Clay samples can be oriented along the plane of weakness or
an identified failure plane.
 Disadvantages 31
of direct shear test

Disadvantages
– Failure occurs along a predetermined failure plane (The failure
plane is always forced horizontal which is not the weakest
plane in the case of in situ conditions. This issue can be
resolved by using tri-axial testing .
– Area of the sliding surface changes as the test progresses. So
none-uniform distribution of shear stress along the failure
surface.
– Drainage cannot be controlled and pore water pressure can
not be measured .
– Not very much representative of failures in fine grained soils
where pore pressure plays a significant role on shear strength.
Much recommended for fully drained cases (e.g sands).
Thanks
(Q/A)
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