Review Module – Geotechnical Engineering (Shear Strength of Soil)

STRESSES IN A SOIL MASS DIRECT SHEAR TEST

SITUATION. The resulting state of stress is a result of a certain soil

experiment. Direct Shear Test is one of the simplest laboratory or field test used to
measure the shear strength properties of soil or rock material.

1. Determine the major principal stress. MOHR-COULOMB FAILURE CRITERION

2. Determine the minor principal stress. 𝝉 = 𝒄 + 𝝈 𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝝓
3. Determine the maximum shear stress.
4. Determine the normal stress on the 25° shaded plane. SHEAR STRENGTH PARAMETERS
5. Determine the shear stress on 25° shaded plane. - Cohesion, 𝒄
- Internal friction angle, 𝝓
SITUATION. In the experiment as shown below, it is known that the soil
specimen fails on plane AB when the shear stress reaches 15 kPa at the
corresponding normal stress of 6 kPa.
SITUATION. A series of undrained shear box test (area of box = 400
6. Determine the value of P to cause failure of sample. mm2) were carried out on soil with the following results:
7. Determine the angle of failure plane.
8. Determine the maximum shear stress developed in the sample Normal Load (N) Shear Force at Failure (N)
when the soil fails. 95 72
9. Determine the angle of plane of maximum shear. 188 96
270 120
300 128

10. Determine the cohesion with respect to total stresses.

11. Determine the angle of internal friction.
12. If 500 N of normal load is used, what shear force is needed to cause
failure?
 Review Module – Geotechnical Engineering (Shear Strength of Soil)

TRIAXIAL TEST SITUATION. The results of two drained triaxial tests on a saturated clay
are as follows:

Depending on the combination of loading and drainage condition, three Minor Principal Stress, Major Principal
Specimen
main types of triaxial tests can be carried out: 𝝈′𝟑 (kPa) Stress, 𝝈′𝟏 (kPa)
1. Consolidated-Drained (CD) Test A 70 200
2. Consolidated-Undrained (CU) Test B 160 390
3. Unconsolidated-Undrained (UU) Test
13. Compute the angle of internal friction.
14. Compute the cohesion of the soil.
15. Compute the shearing stress at a depth of 5 m below the ground if
the ground water table is located 2 m below the ground surface. Use
γdry = 16 kN/m3 and γsat = 20 kN/m3.

SITUATION. A triaxial shear test was performed on a well-drained sand

sample. The normal stress on the failure plane and the shearing stress
on the failure plane were determined to be 63 kPa and 42 kPa,
respectively.

16. Determine the angle of internal friction of the sand.

17. Determine the angle of the failure plane with respect to the
horizontal plane.
18. Determine the axial stress applied to the specimen.

SITUATION. A specimen of saturated sand was consolidated under an

all-around pressure of 105 kPa. The axial stress was then increased, and
drainage was prevented. The specimen failed when the axial deviator
CONSOLIDATED-DRAINE D (CD) TEST stress reached 70 kPa. The pore water pressure at failure was 50 kPa.
- Effective Stress Test
- S-test or Slow Test 19. Determine the undrained angle of shearing resistance.
- Drainage is always open 20. Determine the drained friction angle.

CONSOLIDATED-UNDRAINED (CU) TEST SITUATION. An unconsolidated-undrained test was conducted on a

- Allows measurement of both total and effective stresses. saturated clay. The cell pressure was 200 kPa and failure occurred at a
- R-test, faster than S-test but slower than Q-test. deviator stress of 220 kPa.
- Drainage is open during the consolidation phase but closed
during the shear phase. 21. Determine the angle of shearing resistance.
22. Determine the maximum principal stress at failure.
UNCONSOLIDATED-UNDRAINED (UU) TEST 23. Determine the undrained shear strength.
- Total stress test
- Q-test or Quick test SITUATION. An unconfined compression test was carried out on a
- Drainage is always closed saturated clay sample. The maximum load on the clay sustained was 130
N. The size of the soil sample was 38 mm diameter and 80 mm. long.
UNCONFINED COMPRESSION (UC) TEST The resulting undrained shear strength of clay was 56.4 kPa.
- Special Case of UU Test
- σ3 = 0; no confining pressure 24. Compute the major principal stress at failure.
- Simple compression test 25. Compute the sample area at failure in m2.
26. Compute the vertical displacement of the soil sample in mm.

SITUATION. A cylindrical specimen of a saturated soil fails under a

stress of 150 kPa. in an unconfined compression test. The failure plane
makes an angle of 52˚ with the horizontal.

27. Compute the angle of internal friction of the soil.

28. Compute the cohesion of the soil.
29. Compute the shearing stress at the failure plane.

“What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.”
- Meister Eckhart -