PLATE 3 – Shear Strength of Soils

1. A CD tri-axial test was conducted on a normally consolidated clay. The results were as follows:
Chamber confining pressure = 138 kPa
Deviator Stress = 258 kPa
a. Compute the friction angle of the soil.
b. Compute the normal and shear stress at failure.
2. The data shown in the table were obtained in a tri-axial test of two identical specimens.

Specime
Confining pressure (kPa) Deviator stress (kPa)
n
A 14.40 57.60
B 28.80 68.50
a. Compute the angle of friction of the soil.
b. Compute the cohesion of the soil.
c. Compute the shear stress acting on the failure plane for specimen A.
3. The soil profile shown below has a clay layer which is normally consolidated with a liquid limit
of 62 and plastic limit of 27. At a depth of 12.8 from the ground surface,
a. compute the undrained shear strength of clay; and
b. compute the unconfined compression strength of clay.

4. During an unconsolidated-undrained tri-axial test on a clayey soil specimen, the minor and
major principal stresses at failure were 100 kPa and 180 kPa, respectively.
a. Find the angle of friction.
b. Find the cohesion of the similar specimen if subjected to unconfined compression test.
c. What will be the axial stress at failure if a similar specimen is subjected to an
unconfined compression test.
5. A tri-axial test was performed on an overconsolidated clay sample. Failure occurred when the
normal stress was 400 kPa. The angle of internal friction is 32°. Compute the deviator stress
and chamber pressure.