Shear Strength of Soil

SHEAR STRENGTH THEORY

WHAT IS SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL?
 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL

IS ITS ABILITY TO RESIST SHEAR STRESSES

WHAT IS SHEAR STRENGTH THEORY?
 SHEAR STRENGTH THEORY
THE ABILITY OF A SOIL MASS TO SUPPORT AN
IMPOSED LOADING OR FOR A SOIL MASS TO
SUPPORT ITSELF
…..IS GOVERNED BY SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE/IMPORTANCE OF
SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL?

WHERE THIS SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL IS

SIGNIFICANT?
IT IS IMPORTANCE IN FOUNDATION DESIGN:
1) DETERMINING THE SOIL BEARING
CAPACITY ,
2) SLOPE STABILITY ANALYSIS,
3) LATERAL EARTH PRESSURE / RETAINING
WALLS.
4) SHEET PILING DESIGN.
WHAT ARE THE TWO MAJOR
CATEGORIES OF SOIL TYPES
1.COHESIONLESS SOIL
2.COHESIVE SOIL
COHESIONLESS – SOIL PARTICLES DO NOT TEND TO
STICK TOGETHER /
COHESSIVE SOIL DO STICK TOGETHER
COHESSIVE SOIL EXHIBITS UNDESIRABLE ENG’G
PROPERTIES… TENDS TO HAVE LOWER SHEAR
STRENGTH AND
LOOSE SHEAR STRENGTH FURTHER UPON WETTING –
THEY ARE POOR MATLS.
FOR RETAINING WALL BACKFILLS.
BEING IMPERVIOUS GOOD EARTHDAM AND DIKE
Soil is weak in shear

To determine the
shear strength of soil
Mohr's Circle
 The two principal stresses are shown in red, and
the maximum shear stress is shown in orange.
normal stesses equal the principal stresses when the stress element is aligned
with the principal directions
shear stress equals the maximum shear stress when the stress element is rotated 45°
away from the principal directions.
 Principal Stresses from Mohr's Circle
A chief benefit of Mohr's circle is that the principal stresses s 1 s
and 2 and the

t
maximum shear stress max are obtained immediately after drawing the circle,
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 √ √

t2 t3
c t1

s1 s2 s3 sn
Soil Shear Strength
PROBLEM: for plate

The angle of friction of a compacted dry

sand is 37 degrees. In a direct shear test on
the sand, a normal stress of 150 kN/m2
was applied. The size of the specimen was
50 mm x 50 mm x 30 mm (height). What
shear force will cause shear failure?
PROBLEM: for plate

The following results were recorded during a shear box test on a

cohesive soil. If the specimen size was 60 mm x 60 mm,
determine the apparent cohesion and angle of shearing
resistance.

NORMAL LOAD (kN) SHEAR LOAD AT FAILURE (kN)

0.073 0.109
0.191 0.139
0.309 0.170
0.427 0.197
0.545 0.227
TRIAXIAL COMPRESSION TEST

TRIAXIAL SHEAR TEST

ADVANTAGES OVER DIRECT SHEAR TEST

1.More Versatile
2.Drainage can be well controlled
3.There is no rotation of the principal
stresses like the direct shear test
4.Also, the failure plane can occur anywhere
TRIAXIAL COMPRESSION TEST

Failure Surface

By Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

 Triaxial Compression Test
Deviator Stress
1- Consolidated Undrained Test (CU)
Ds
s2
Step 1 Step 2

Ds Failure

t
s1 = Ds + s2

Confining Ds Ds
Pressure fu
s2 s2

s2 s2 s2 s2 s2 s2 s2 cu
s2
s2 s2 s1 s2 s1 s1 sn

s2 s1 - s2
s2
s1 - s2
Ds
 Triaxial Compression Test
2- Consolidated Drained Test (CD) Deviator Stress
Ds
s2
Step 1 Step 2

Ds Failure

s1 = Ds + s2
Confining Ds t
Pressure
s2 s2

fd
s2 s2 s2

s2 s2 cd
s2 s2 s1 s2 s1 s1 sn
Ds
s1 - s2
s1 - s2
 Triaxial Compression Test
3- Unconsolidated Undrained Test (UU)
Deviator Stress
Ds
s2
Step 1 Step 2

Ds Failure

t
s1 = Ds + s2
Confining Ds
Pressure
s2 s2 t= c

cu
s2 s2 s2
s2 s2 s2 s1 s1 s1 sn

s1 - s2
s2 s2
s1 - s2
Ds
Triaxial Compression Test 1- Applying
Confining
2- Loading 3- At Failure

Stresses Axial
= F1 stress
)F Deviator stress = )Ff
+ +
F2 F2 Confining stress = F2

Each Circle F2 F2 F2 F2 F2 F2
= 2
One Test
F2 F2 F2 Failure
+ + Surface
)F )Ff
F1 = Major Principle Stress = F1
F2 = Minor Prencipal Stress )F= deviator stress

Failure Surface

Cohesion = c 2
F2 F1
F2 F2 F1 F1
Fn

By Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E.

Unconfined Compression Test

Deviator Stress
Ds

Ds Failure

t= cu

Cu = qu/2

s1 sn

qu = s1
qu = Unconfined compressive strength
Cu = Unconfined shear strength
WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES OF THE
TRIAXIAL COMPRESSION TEST?
PRINCIPLES OF TRIAXIAL COMPRESION TEST

1. The triaxial compression test is used to measure the

shear strength of a soil under controlled drainage
conditions.

2. A cylindrical specimen of soil is encased and

subjected to a confining fluid/air pressure and the
loaded axially to failure.

3. The test is called “triaxial because the three principal

stresses are assumed to be known and are controlled.
PROBLEM:

For Normally consolidated clay, the results of a drained

triaxial test as follows:

Chamber confining Pressure = 150 kPa

Deviator Stress at Failure = 275 kPa

Determine the soil friction angle.

PROBLEM:

A triaxial shear test is performed on a dry

sand sample. Failure Occurred when the
normal stress was 300kN/m2 and shear stress
was 200 kN/m2. What is the angle of internal
friction?
PROBLEM:

A triaxial shear test is performed on a

cohesionless sand sample failure occurred
when normal stress is 400kPa and the shear
stress is 250kPa. What are the principal
stresses?
PROBLEM:

A drained triaxial compression test was

carried out on 3 specimens prepared from
the same soil. The results are tabulated
below. Determine the drained values of
cohesion and angle of shearing resistance for
the soil assuming zero pore pressure during
the test.