Shear strength of soil

(CIVE 1129)
Workshop @ HKVTC
(Dr. Dilan Robert)
12/11/2016
Importance of knowing shear strength
 What is shear strength
• Resistance to shearing stresses
• Depends primarily on interaction between particles
• Shear failure occurs when the stresses between the
particles are such that they slide or roll past each other

Dense packing Loose packing

 Basic secondary school physics
- Sliding block model
Block on a rigid frictional surface:

F N
Block starts moving (‘fails’) when:

F = µN
or: F/A = µ N/A τ = µ σn

τ = σn tan φ µ = tan φ
COULOMB’S FRICTIONAL LAW
τ = c + σn tan φ
C = apparent cohesion
φ =internal frictional angle
σn = Normal stress
C and φ are soil shear strength parameters
For coarse grained soil, normally c = 0 ;
For fine grained soil, c>0

5
COULOMB’S FRICTIONAL LAW

Based on total stress;

Based on effective stress;

 Sources for shear strength
2 main sources

Cohesion Frictional resistance

• Cementation between sand
• Friction between particles
grains
• Electrostatic attraction between
particles
How to determine the shear strength
parameters
2 main tests

Direct shear test Triaxial test

How to determine the shear strength
parameters
Direct shear test
How to determine the shear strength
parameters
Direct shear test
kPa

kPa
Play video on direct shear test
 Stress and Strain States using Mohr circles

Ref url: http://home.iitk.ac.in/~priyog/Shear%20Strength%20Lecture.pdf 12

First Q
Second Q
Triaxial tests
 Triaxial tests
Tests Types – 4 main tests
1.0 Consolidated Drained test (CD)
2.0 Consolidated Undrained test (CU)
3.0 Unconsolidated Undrained test (UU)
4.0 Unconfined Compression tests (UC)
 Triaxial tests
Consolidated drained test

When to use this test…

• Long term stability of slopes, foundation,

retaining walls, excavations and other
earthworks
 Triaxial tests
Consolidated undrained test

When to use this test…

• To analyse the stability of slopes, foundations, retaining walls, excavations

and other earth works
• Can derive drained properties quickly than performing CD tests
 Triaxial tests
Unconsolidated undrained test

When to use this test…

• Quick and inexpensive compared with CD & CU tests

• The advantage over UC is soil sample is stressed in lateral direction to
simulate field condition
• Useful in preliminary analyses for design of slopes, foundation, retaining
walls, excavations and other earth works
 Triaxial tests
Unconfined compression test (UC)

When to use this test…

• Short term bearing capacity of soils

• Short term stability of slopes
• Obtain shear strength variability quickly and
cost-effectively (cheaper to perform)
 Stress and Strain States using Mohr circles

Ref url: http://home.iitk.ac.in/~priyog/Shear%20Strength%20Lecture.pdf 21

Mohr-Coulomb failure criteria

 φ
θ =  45 + 
 2
Mohr-Coulomb failure criteria

 φ  φ
Based on total stress; σ 1 = σ 3 tan 2  45 +  + 2c tan 45 + 
 2  2

 φ'   φ' 
Based on effective stress; σ 1 ' = σ 3 ' tan 2  45 +  + 2c' tan 45 + 
2 2
 
 φ
θ =  45 + 
 2
 Failure Plane

σ1
Failure plane

σ3

θ = 45+φ/2
Third Q
 Stresses on Any Plane

σ1 τ
Any plane

σθ,τθ
σ3

σ3 θ σ1 σ
The stress on a plane oriented at an angle θ
from the major principle plane;

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Fourth Q