Objective:-

To estimate the shear strength parameters.

Introduction:-
In many engineering problems such as design of
foundation, retaining walls, slab bridges, pipes, sheet
piling, the value of the angle of internal friction and
cohesion of the soil involved are required for the
design. Direct shear test is used to predict these
parameters quickly. The laboratory report covers the
determining of these values for cohesion less soil. 

Equipments:-
1- Direct shear device.
2- 2 Dial gauges.
3- Calipers.
4- Small level.

Procedure:-
 1. Weigh a large dish of dry sand of sufficient
quantity to do at least three tests at the same
density
2. Carefully assemble the shear box (back off the
sample box spacing and clamping screws as
necessary) and fix into position.
3. Carefully place the sand in the shear box to about
5 mm from the top and place the load block
(including porous stone) on top of the soil.
4. Apply the desired normal load Pu and attach the
vertical displacement dial gauge or LVDT (direct
reading to 0.01 mm/div).
5. Separate the tow parts of the shear box by
advancing the spacing screws in the upper half of
the shear box.
6. Attach the dial gauge or LVDT (direct reading to
0.01 mm/div) to measure the shear displacement.
7. For a saturated test, saturate the sample by filling
the shear box with water, and allow a reasonable
time for saturation to take place
8. Remove the sand from the shear box and repeat
steps 1 through 8 on at least two additional
samples. These samples must have an initial mass
within 5 to 10g of the first sample and occupy the
same volume (use the reference marks of Step 3).

Data Analysis:-
5@
Load shear stress
load .Hor vertical σv σH
Dial reading (Kpa)
10 10 1- 0.01- 0.1 13.79 3.83
10 20 2- 0.02- 0.2 13.79 3.83
 11 30 3- 0.03- 0.3 15.17 4.21
11.5 40 3- 0.03- 0.4 15.86 4.41
12 50 3.5- 0.035- 0.5 16.55 4.6
12 60 3.5- 0.035- 0.6 16.55 4.6
12 70 4- 0.04- 0.7 16.55 4.6
12.5 80 4- 0.04- 0.8 17.24 4.79
13 90 4- 0.04- 0.9 17.93 4.98
13 100 4- 0.04- 1 17.93 4.98
13 110 4- 0.04- 1.1 17.93 4.98
15 120 4- 0.04- 1.2 20.69 5.75
15 130 4- 0.04- 1.3 20.69 5.75
15 140 4- 0.04- 1.4 20.69 5.75
16 150 2.5- 0.025- 1.5 22.06 6.13
17 160 2- 0.02- 1.6 23.44 6.51
15 170 2- 0.02- 1.7 20.69 5.75
15 180 2- 0.02- 1.8 20.69 5.75
18 190 2- 0.02- 1.9 24.82 6.9
19 200 2- 0.02- 2 26.2 7.28
20 210 2- 0.02- 2.1 27.58 7.66
20 220 2- 0.02- 2.2 27.58 7.66
20 230 2- 0.02- 2.3 27.58 7.66
20 240 2- 0.02- 2.4 27.58 7.66
21 250 2- 0.02- 2.5 28.96 8.04
21 260 2- 0.02- 2.6 28.96 8.04
21 270 2- 0.02- 2.7 28.96 8.04
22 280 2- 0.02- 2.8 30.34 8.43
22 290 2- 0.02- 2.9 30.34 8.43
22 300 2- 0.02- 3 30.34 8.43
22 310 2- 0.02- 3.1 30.34 8.43
22 320 2- 0.02- 3.2 30.34 8.43
22 330 2- 0.02- 3.3 30.34 8.43
22 340 2- 0.02- 3.4 30.34 8.43
22 350 2- 0.02- 3.5 30.34 8.43
22 360 2- 0.02- 3.6 30.34 8.43
22 370 1- 0.01- 3.7 30.34 8.43
@ 20 kg
load horizontal vertical σv σH Load shear stress
Dial reading )Kpa(
22 10 0 0 0.1 30.34 8.427
24 20 1 0.01 0.2 33.1 9.193
25 30 1 0.01 0.3 34.48 9.576
25 40 4 0.04 0.4 34.48 9.576
26 50 5 0.05 0.5 35.85 9.959
26 60 8 0.08 0.6 35.85 9.959
27 70 9 0.09 0.7 37.23 10.34
29 80 0 0 0.8 39.99 11.11
30 90 0 0 0.9 41.37 11.49
30 100 0 0 1 41.37 11.49
30 110 0.5- 0.005- 1.1 41.37 11.49
31 120 1- 0.01- 1.2 42.75 11.87
35 130 1.2- 0.012- 1.3 48.27 13.41
39 140 1.5- 0.015- 1.4 53.78 14.94
41 150 1.5- 0.015- 1.5 56.54 15.71
43 160 2- 0.02- 1.6 59.3 16.47
43 170 2- 0.02- 1.7 59.3 16.47
43 180 2- 0.02- 1.8 59.3 16.47
44 190 2- 0.02- 1.9 60.68 16.85
45 200 2- 0.02- 2 62.06 17.24
45 210 2- 0.02- 2.1 62.06 17.24
46 220 2- 0.02- 2.2 63.43 17.62
46 230 2- 0.02- 2.3 63.43 17.62
46 240 2- 0.02- 2.4 63.43 17.62
47 250 2- 0.02- 2.5 64.81 18
47 260 2- 0.02- 2.6 64.81 18
47 270 2- 0.02- 2.7 64.81 18
48 280 2- 0.02- 2.8 66.19 18.39
48 290 2- 0.02- 2.9 66.19 18.39
49 300 2- 0.02- 3 67.57 18.77
50 310 2- 0.02- 3.1 68.95 19.15
50 320 2- 0.02- 3.2 68.95 19.15
50 330 2- 0.02- 3.3 68.95 19.15
51 340 2- 0.02- 3.4 70.33 19.54
52 350 2- 0.02- 3.5 71.71 19.92
52 360 2- 0.02- 3.6 71.71 19.92
53 370 2- 0.02- 3.7 73.09 20.3
54 380 3- 0.03- 3.8 74.47 20.69
54 390 3- 0.03- 3.9 74.47 20.69
54 400 4- 0.04- 4 74.47 20.69
54 410 4- 0.04- 4.1 74.47 20.69
54 420 4- 0.04- 4.2 74.47 20.69
54 430 4- 0.04- 4.3 74.47 20.69
54 440 4- 0.04- 4.4 74.47 20.69
53 450 4- 0.04- 4.5 73.09 20.3
52 460 4- 0.04- 4.6 71.71 19.92
52 470 4- 0.04- 4.7 71.71 19.92
 52 480 4- 0.04- 4.8 71.71 19.92
52 490 4- 0.04- 4.9 71.71 19.92
52 500 4- 0.04- 5 71.71 19.92

@ 40 kg
load horizontal vertical σv σH Load shear
Dial stress(Kpa)
reading
45 10 1 0.01 0.1 62.06 17.24
54 20 0.8 0.008 0.2 74.47 20.69
56 30 0.8 0.008 0.3 77.22 21.45
58 40 0.4 0.004 0.4 79.98 22.22
 61 50 0 0 0.5 84.12 23.37
66 60 0 0 0.6 91.01 25.28
68 70 3- 0.03- 0.7 93.77 26.05
71 80 6- 0.06- 0.8 97.91 27.2
72 90 8- 0.08- 0.9 99.29 27.58
73 100 9- 0.09- 1 100.7 27.96
75 110 10- 0.1- 1.1 103.4 28.73
78 120 11- 0.11- 1.2 107.6 29.88
81 130 12- 0.12- 1.3 111.7 31.03
84 140 12- 0.12- 1.4 115.8 32.18
86 150 13- 0.13- 1.5 118.6 32.94
87 160 13- 0.13- 1.6 120 33.33
90 170 13.5- 0.135- 1.7 124.1 34.48
93 180 13.5- 0.135- 1.8 128.2 35.62
94 190 14- 0.14- 1.9 129.6 36.01
95 200 15- 0.15- 2 131 36.39
96 210 15- 0.15- 2.1 132.4 36.77
99 220 15.2- 0.152- 2.2 136.5 37.92
101 230 15.5- 0.155- 2.3 139.3 38.69
101 240 16- 0.16- 2.4 139.3 38.69
102 250 16- 0.16- 2.5 140.7 39.07
104 260 16- 0.16- 2.6 143.4 39.84
105 270 16- 0.16- 2.7 144.8 40.22
106 280 16- 0.16- 2.8 146.2 40.6
108 290 16.2- 0.162- 2.9 148.9 41.37
108 300 16.4- 0.164- 3 148.9 41.37
110 310 16.2- 0.162- 3.1 151.7 42.14
112 320 16- 0.16- 3.2 154.4 42.9
113 330 15.8- 0.158- 3.3 155.8 43.29
116 340 15.5- 0.155- 3.4 160 44.43
117 350 15- 0.15- 3.5 161.3 44.82
118 360 15- 0.15- 3.6 162.7 45.2
119 370 14.8- 0.148- 3.7 164.1 45.58
120 380 14.5- 0.145- 3.8 165.5 45.97
122 390 14.3- 0.143- 3.9 168.2 46.73
122 400 14- 0.14- 4 168.2 46.73
124 410 14- 0.14- 4.1 171 47.5
125 420 14- 0.14- 4.2 172.4 47.88
125 430 13.6- 0.136- 4.3 172.4 47.88
127 440 13.5- 0.135- 4.4 175.1 48.65
129 450 13.2- 0.132- 4.5 177.9 49.41
129 460 13.2- 0.132- 4.6 177.9 49.41
130 470 13- 0.13- 4.7 179.3 49.8
 130 480 13- 0.13- 4.8 179.3 49.8
133 490 13- 0.13- 4.9 183.4 50.95
136 500 13- 0.13- 5 187.5 52.1
137 510 13- 0.13- 5.1 188.9 52.48
138 520 13- 0.13- 5.2 190.3 52.86
140 530 13- 0.13- 5.3 193.1 53.63
142 540 13- 0.13- 5.4 195.8 54.39

*Sample of Calculations:-

A = 36 cm2 ,h=3.1 cm

V = 111.6 cm3

Wt. = 150 g

σn @ 5 Kg = 13.63 (KPa)

σn @ 20 Kg = 54.5 (KPa)

σn @ 40 Kg = 109 (KPa)

σH = dial reading * 0.01.

(τ) = load / area

*See the given charts…..

*Comments:-
1- In this experiment we apply a vertical load on a soil
by using odometer device which can convert the
vertical load to a horizontal load to reduce a shear
failure on the soil.
2- The soil on the 5 kg load get a dilation so the soil is
not so dense but in 10 kg case get contraction and
the soil is get so dense.
3- We can see that the shear force well increase with
increasing the vertical load and it will be bigger in
the contraction case.
4- Direct shear test is simple and faster to operate. As
thinner specimens are used in shear box, they
facilitate drainage of pore water from a saturated
sample in less time. This test is also useful to study
friction between two materials – one material in
lower half of box and another material in the upper
half of box.
5- The friction between sand particles is due to sliding
and rolling friction and interlocking action.

References:-
1- ASTM D 3080 – 90.
2- AASHTO T 236 – 90.
3- Holtz and Kovacs. (1981). ''An Introduction to
Geotechnical Engineering'', Chaps 10 and 11.