EAG 345

GEOTECHNICAL
ANALYSIS
(iv) Determination of shear
strength parameters of soils (2)

By: Dr Mohd Ashraf Mohamad

Ismail

Types of Triaxial Tests

c
Step 1
c

deviatoric
stress ( = q)
Step 2

c+ q

c
Under all-around cell pressure
c
Is the drainage valve
open?
yes

Consolidate
d sample

no

Unconsolidate
d sample

Shearing
(loading)
Is the drainage valve
open?
yes

Drained
loading

no

Undrained
loading

Types of Triaxial Tests

Step 2

Step 1
Under all-around cell pressure
c

Shearing
(loading)

Is the drainage valve

open?
yes

Consolidate
d sample

Is the drainage valve

open?

no

yes

Unconsolidate
d sample

Drained
loading

CD
test

UU
test
CU
test

no

Undrained
loading

Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)

Data analysis
Initial specimen
condition
C = 3
No
C = 3
drainage

Specimen
condition during
shearing
No
drainage

3 + d

Initial volume of the sample = A0

H0
Volume of the sample during shearing = A
H
Since the test is conducted under undrained condition,
A H = A 0 H0
A (H0 H) = A0 H0
A (1 H/H0) = A0

A0
A
1 z

Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)

Step 1: Immediately after sampling
0
0
Step 2: After application of hydrostatic cell pressure
3 = 3 -uc
=
C

No
drainage

C = 3

uc

3 = 3 -uc

uc = B 3
Increase of pwp due to
increase of cell pressure

Increase of cell pressure

Skemptons pore water
pressure parameter, B

Note: If soil is fully saturated, then B = 1 (hence, uc = 3)

Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)

Step 3: During application of axial load
No
drainage

'1 3 d uc mud

3 + d
3

'3 3 uc mud

+
uc
ud

ud = ABd
Increase of pwp due to
increase of deviator stress

Increase
stress

Skemptons pore water

pressure parameter, A

of

deviator

Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)

Combining steps 2 and 3,

uc = B 3

ud = ABd

Total pore water pressure increment at any stage, u

u = uc + ud
u = B [3 + Ad]
u = B [3 + A(1 3]

Skemptons pore
water
pressure
equation

Typical values for parameter B

f
(saturatio
n)

Degree of
saturation

Typical values for parameter A

Relation between effective and total

stress criteria

Three identical saturated soil samples are sheared to failure in UU triaxial

tests. Each sample is subjected to a different cell pressure. No water can
drain at any stage. At failure the Mohr circles are found to be as shown

Relation between effective and total

stress criteria
Three identical saturated soil samples are sheared to failure in UU triaxial
tests. Each sample is subjected to a different cell pressure. No water can
drain at any stage. At failure the Mohr circles are found to be as shown

We find that all the total stress Mohr circles are the same size, and
therefore u = 0 and = su = cu = constant

stress criteria
Because each sample is at failure, the fundamental effective stress
failure condition must also be satisfied. As all the circles have the
same size there must be only one effective stress Mohr circle
c' n tan '

Relation between effective and total

stress criteria
The different total stress Mohr circles with a single effective
stress Mohr circle indicate that the pore pressure is
different for each sample.
As discussed previously increasing the cell pressure without
allowing drainage has the effect of increasing the pore
pressure by the same amount (u = c) with no change in
effective stress.
The change in pore pressure during shearing is a function
of the initial effective stress and the moisture content. As
these are identical for the three samples an identical
strength is obtained.

parameters
It is often found that a series of undrained
tests from a particular site give a value of u
that is not zero (cu not constant). If this
happens either
the samples are not saturated, or
the samples have different moisture
contents
If the samples are not saturated analyses
based on undrained behaviour will not be
correct
The undrained strength cu is not a fundamental
soil property. If the moisture content changes

Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)

Effect of degree of saturation on failure envelope

S < 100%

3c 3b

S > 100%

c 3a b

a or

Some practical applications of UU

analysis for clays
1. Embankment constructed rapidly over a soft clay deposit

Soft clay

= in situ undrained
shear strength

Some practical applications of UU

analysis for clays
2. Large earth dam constructed rapidly with
no change in water content of soft clay

Core

= Undrained shear

strength of clay core

Some practical applications of UU

analysis for clays
3. Footing placed rapidly on clay deposit

= In situ undrained shear strength

Note: UU test simulates the short term condition in

the field. Thus, cu can be used to analyze the
short term behavior of soils

Unconfined Compression Test (UC Test)

1 = VC +

3 =
0

Confining pressure is zero in the UC

test

1 = VC +
f

Shear stress,

Unconfined Compression Test (UC Test)

3 = 0
qu

Normal stress,

Note: Theoritically qu = cu , However in the actual

case qu < cu due to premature failure of the
sample

Other laboratory shear tests

Direct simple shear

test
Torsional ring shear test
Plane strain triaxial test

Other laboratory shear tests

Direct simple shear

test
Torsional ring shear test
Plane strain triaxial test

Direct simple shear test

Porous
stones

Direct shear test

Soil specimen

= 80 mm
Direct simple shear test

Spiral wire
in rubber
membrane

Other laboratory shear tests

Direct simple shear

test
Torsional ring shear test
Plane strain triaxial test

Torsional ring shear test

max
res
Peak
Residual
Shear displacement

Torsional ring shear test

Preparation of ring shaped

undisturbed samples is very
difficult. Therefore, remoulded
samples are used in most cases

Other laboratory shear tests

Direct simple shear

test
Torsional ring shear test
Plane strain triaxial test

Plane strain triaxial test

1
1, 1

2, 2

3, 3

2
Plane strain test
2 3

2 = 0

Specimen

Rigid platens

Drained and undrained conditions

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
UNDRAINED condition occurs when the pore water is
unable to drain out of the soil
In undrained 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 in volume is suppressed
during undrained loading.

Drained and undrained conditions

The existence of either a drained or an undrained
condition in a soil depends on: ((i)soil types; fine-grained or
coarse grained, (ii) geological formation and (iii) rate of
loading)
For a rate of loading associated with a normal construction
activity, saturated coarse grained soils (e.g. sands and
gravel) experience drained conditions and saturated finegrained soils (e.g. silts and clays) experience undrained
conditions
If the rate of loading is fast enough (e.g. during an
earthquake), even coarse-grained soils can experience
undrained loading, often resulting in liquefaction.

Example of undrained loading

(Liquefaction)

When loading is rapidly applied and large enough such that it does not
flow out in time before the next cycle of load is applied, the water
pressure may build to an extent where they exceed the contact
stresses between the grains of soil that keep them in contact with each
other. These contact between grains are the means by which the
weight of the buildings and overlying soil layers are transferred from
the ground surface to layers of soil or rock at greater depth. This loss of
soil structure causes it to lose all of its strength and it may be observed

Example of undrained loading

(Liquefaction)

Uplift of sewerage
during Niigata
earthquake 2004

Collapse of flat house

during the 1964
Niigata earthquake,
Japan.

Drained and undrained conditions

The shear strength of a fine-grained soil under undrained
condition is called the undrained shear strength and denoted
as su.
radius of the Mohrs
s
u is the undrained
The
shear circle of total stress:

s
strength depends only on
2
su
the initial void ratio or the
initial water content of the

soil
1

1 f

Total stress circle

Drained and undrained conditions

The undrained shear strength is not a fundamental soil
parameter.
Its value depends on the values of the initial confining
stresses.

An increase in initial
confining
stresses
su1
su 2
causes a decrease in
void ratio and an




,
increase in undrained

shear strength
3

Selection of shear strength parameter

Drained or undrained ?

When designing a geotechnical structure,

both undrained and drained conditions must
be considered to determine which one is
more critical
CU with pore
water pressure
measurement

Drained and Undrained shear strength

Condition

Excess porewater
pressure
Volume change

Drained

: 0

Undrained
Not zero; could be positive or
negative

Compression

Positive excess porewater

pressure

Expansion

Negative excess porewater

pressure

Consolidation

Yes, fine grained soil

No

Compression

Yes

Yes, but lateral expansion

must occur so that the
volume change is zero

Analysis

' (or ' p )

Effectivecsstress
(EFA)

Total stressu (TSA)

Design parameters

Homework: Do reading from page 243 245 (Section 7.8) Soil

mechanics and foundations