CVG 3109: Soil Mechanics Laboratory

Laboratory #4: Direct Shear Test for Sand

Objectives
(i) To determine the consolidated drained shear strength,  of a soil material at a given normal
stress,  and void ratio, e (i.e., density).
(ii) To determine the effective shear strength parameters (i.e., c’ and ’) of the soil.
(iii) To determine the volume change behavior (i.e., compression or dilation) of soil specimens
under different applied normal stresses during the shearing stage.

Background
Shear strength of soils
- The shear strength of a soil is required for addressing numerous problems, such as the design of
foundations, retaining walls, and pavements in civil engineering applications.
- Mohr and Coulomb expressed the shear strength, f of a soil as linear function of the normal
stress, f on the failure plane at failure using the equation, f = c + f tan, where, c = cohesion
intercept and  = angle of shearing resistance (i.e., internal friction angle).
Shear stress

Mohr‐Coulomb
failure envelope

) 

c c = cohesion
 = angle of internal friction
} Shear strength parameters

Normal stress

- The shear strength behavior of any saturated soil can be related to one stress-state variable;
namely, the effective stress, ', defined as ( – uw) (i.e., Terzaghi’s effective stress concept).
The term, , is the total stress, and uw is the pore-water pressure.
- Terzaghi’s effective stress concept can be extended to Coulomb’s equation to interpret the shear
strength of soils:
 f  c   f tan    f  c    uw  tan  
- The shear strength parameters determined taking into account the influence of the effective
stresses are called effective shear strength parameters (i.e., c’ and ’). The pore-water
pressure, uw at failure should be known to determine the effective shear strength parameters.

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Direct shear test

- Direct shear test is a simple and widely used test for determination of the shear strength
parameters of cohesionless soils (and rarely, for fine-grained soils).
Normal Load V

Shear Plane

H

Shear Force

Gap

- The above figure provides key details related to the direct shear test apparatus. More details
about the equipment will be provided by the TA during the lab demonstration.
- The soil specimen is sheared in the direct shear apparatus at a controlled rate of strain as per
ASTM D3080/D3080M – 11.
- In this test, the shear strength of a soil is determined on a pre-defined failure plane (i.e., shearing
surface) which is the horizontal plane along the interface between the top and the bottom halves
of the shear box) (see the figure above).
- Note 1: In the case of coarse-grained soils such as sand, the effective shear strength parameters,
c’ and ’ are the same for both the saturated and the dry conditions as the coefficient of
permeability of sand is relatively high and drainage occurs almost immediately. As a result, the
excess pore-water pressure during the shearing stage remains zero or close to zero even at high
shearing rates. In other words, the shear strength parameters we determine from the test are
effective shear strength parameters. Note that it is not necessary to saturate the sand before
shearing in the direct shear test and the applied vertical total stress (or the normal stress) is equal
to the vertical effective stress (i.e.,  = ’).
- Note 2: In the case of find-grained soils such as clay that have low coefficient of permeability, the
strain rate should be low enough such that there will be no excess pore-water pressure generated
during the shearing process. If excess pore-water is generated during shearing stage (this excess
pore-water pressure is not measured during shearing stage), then  ≠ ’.
- Note 3: Drainage cannot be controlled during the direct shear test (water can escape from
various places, particularly from the shearing surface between the top and bottom halves of
the shear box). Due to this reason, FULLY undrained shear strength parameters cannot be
reliably determined with this equipment.
- If the specimen is sheared at a constant shearing rate, deformation occurs (lateral movement) at a
constant speed. The contact area between the top and bottom halves of the specimen
reduces as it is subjected to strain along the horizontal plane.
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Direct Shear Testing Equipment

Load probe ring

LVDT (Vertical dis.)
(or Load Cell)

Shear rate control box

LVDT (Horizontal dis.)

General Arrangement of Shear Apparatus

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Shear box

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Procedure
 Detailed operating instructions for the direct shear test equipment can be downloaded using the
link below.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6CrSWFG1j20ZXVHYjBobTFfblU/edit?resourcekey=0-M31HmeVffHAGNUjYVh8Kmg

 The direct shear test can be conducted on any type of soil to determine the effective shear
strength parameters using disturbed or undisturbed specimens. Undisturbed specimens are
collected from test borings in the field using thin walled tubes from which the specimens can then
be extracted. It should be noted that care should be taken to collect “identical” specimens (i.e., at
same density and water content). These specimens are subjected to different normal
(consolidation) stresses and sheared at a constant rate of strain (We will conduct the test with
dry sand).
 Cohesionless soils are composed of bulky grains; ranging in shape from angular to rounded. A
schematic representation of such material subjected to normal and shear forces, N and S, is
shown in the figure below. The particles are in contact at only a few points at which the stresses
are extremely high, far greater than the average stresses on the soil, N/A and  S/A.

N N

 Depending upon the applied load, and the void ratio of the soil (i.e., loose, or dense), the soil
sample may compress or dilate. The pore-water pressure evolution in the soil sample will be
significantly influenced by the soil’s volume change behavior (e.g., no pore-water pressure will
develop in saturated coarse-grained soils). The volume change behavior of the soil will be
discussed in greater detail during the theoretical lectures.
 Typically, three or four identical (at the same initial void ratio and water content) specimens are
tested under different normal (consolidation) stresses and the maximum attained shear stress
during each test is then plotted versus the applied normal stress. Next, the shear strength
envelope is obtained by fitting a straight line to the data points to determine the shear strength
parameters (i.e., c’ and ’).
 Note: the shear strength failure envelope should be defined from the failure behavior of the soil
under three or four different normal stresses using “identical” samples. You should use the same
amount of sand for each of the tests and compact it using approximately the same energy (i.e.,
the same layer thickness and number of blows). More details will be provided in the lab (and in
the lab demonstration video).

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Typical Direct Shear Test Results

Horizontal displacement vs. shear stress


n3 = N3/A

n2 = N2/A

n1 = N1/A

H

Horizontal displacement vs. volume change

+V

H
-V

’
f3

f2
Normal stress vs. shear strength
f1

n1 n2 n3

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Calculation Procedure for Today’s Experiment

1. Table 1 provides details about the determination of the void ratio of the specimen.
2. Table 2 provides details about the shear stress calculations based on the experimental results
(which will be posted on Bright Space after the lab session).
- As the shear test progresses, the two halves of the shear box move in opposite directions, as
shown in the figure below. Because of that, there is reduction in the specimen contact area. In
other words, the original contact area (L x B) reduces as the horizontal displacement occurs.

Ac B

H

- At each stage of calculation, the corrected area of the direct shear box shall be calculated
using the following formula.
Ac   L  H  B

where: Ac = corrected area;

L = length of box;
H = horizontal displacement;
B = width of box.
3. For each normal stress, plot a graph of  (Col. 8) versus horizontal displacement, H (Col. 2).
Below that graph, using the same horizontal scale, plot a graph of vertical displacement, V
(Col. 4) versus horizontal displacement,H (Col. 2). Repeat the previous steps to obtain the plots
for all normal stresses used. Comment on the observed behavior in your laboratory report.
4. From the plots in Step 3, obtain the value of the maximum shear stress, f attained during each
test.
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5. Plot the data points with coordinates (f, ) from each test (as determined in step 4) in  space
and fit a straight line to these points – this is the Mohr-Coulomb failure envelope for the sand. As
the cohesion is “zero” for granular soils, the failure envelope should be a straight line passing
through the origin. From the failure envelope, determine the angle of internal friction of the tested
sand.
6. Provide some general comments on the internal friction angle value determined.

Round-grained sand ’(˚) Angular-grained sand ’(˚)

Loose 28-32 Loose 30-36

Medium 30-35 Medium 34-40

Dense 34-38 Dense 40-45

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Table 1. Direct Shear Test on Sand – Void Ratio Calculation

Description of the soil: _____________________________________________________________

Sample Identification: _____________________________________________________________

Location: _____________________________________________________________

Specific Gravity, Gs ________________(This value will be provided by the lab supervisor)

Tested by: ________________________________ Date: _______________________________

# Item Quantity

1. Specimen length, L (mm)

2. Specimen width, B (mm)

3. Specimen height, H (mm)

4. Mass of porcelain dish + dry sand (before use), M1

Mass of porcelain dish + unused dry sand (after filling the shear box to
5.
a height of [insert value here] mm), M2

Mass M  M2
6. Dry density of the specimen,  d   1
Volume LBH

Gs  w
7. Void ratio, e  1
 d g 

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Table 2. Direct Shear Test on Sand: Shear Stress vs. Shear Displacement
Calculation

Description of the soil: _____________________________________________________________

Sample Identification & Location: ____________________________________________________

Proving ring constant: ______ N / division

Normal stress (in kPa) _________ (Test 1, 2, 3) Void ratio, e = _____________________

Tested by: ________________________________ Date: _______________________________

Horizontal Horizontal Vertical Vertical Shear Shear Corrected Shear stress,

displ., H displ., H displ., V displ., V load, S load, S Area, Ac Col.6/Col. 7
(dial (dial (dial
(mm) (mm) reading) (N) (mm2) (x10-3 kPa)
reading) reading)
(Col. 1) (Col. 2) (Col. 3) (Col. 4) (Col. 5) (Col. 6) (Col. 7) (Col. 8)

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