SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Year 2 Laboratories

SL-T
Triaxial Compression Test

Technical Note
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Programme: Civil Engineering (BEng/MEng)
Lab group number: C3
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Date of experiment: 21/10/2019

 SL-T Technical Note // CIVE224

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 SL-T Technical Note // CIVE224

o Aim
The main purpose of this experiment is to measure the shear strength parameters of the
saturated clay. The taken measurements were then categorize depending on the cohesion
coefficient calculations for the used clay.

o Introduction

o Results
Specimen data
SPECIMEN NUMBER 1 2 3 4
Date of test 21/10/2019 21/10/2019 21/10/2019 21/10/2019
Length of specimen (mms) 76 76 76 76
L
Diameter of specimen (mms) 38 38 38 38
C.S.A. of specimen (sq.m.) 0.00113 0.00113 0.00113 0.00113
A weight of specimen
Wet 165 177 179 178
(gms)
Dry weight of specimen (gms) 134 140 139 137
Moisture Content (%) 23.134% 26.428% 28.777% 29.927%
Load Cell Constant (kN/div) 1 1 1 1
Test Cell Pressure (kN/sq.m.) 100 200 300 400
Table 1: results

SPECIMEN NUMBER 1 SPECIMEN NUMBER 2

Specimen Strain Load Deviator Specimen Strain Load Deviator
Deformation 1 (kN) Stress Deformation (kN) Stress
(mms) (kN/sq.m) (mm) 1 (kN/sq.m)
x 1=x/L W =W(1-1)/A x 1=x/L W =W(1-1)/A
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0.5 0.007 0.0263 23.121 0.5 0.007 0.09 79.122
1 0.013 0.0849 74.144 1 0.013 0.1123 98.073
1.5 0.020 0.0849 73.650 1.5 0.020 0.1123 97.419
2 0.026 0.0864 74.448 2 0.026 0.1194 102.883
4 0.053 0.0976 81.826 4 0.053 0.1443 120.978
6 0.079 0.107 87.215 6 0.079 0.1505 122.671
8 0.105 0.1176 93.116 8 0.105 0.165 130.647
10 0.132 0.1305 100.291 10 0.132 0.184 141.407
12 0.158 0.1315 97.997 12 0.158 0.1913 142.562
14 0.184 0.1333 96.234 14 0.184 0.1953 140.994
16 0.211 0.1412 98.649 16 0.211 0.1985 138.682
18 0.237 0.1434 96.847 18 0.237 0.2083 140.678
20 0.263 0.1459 95.137 20 0.263 0.2096 136.674
22 0.289 0.1498 94.192 22 0.289 0.2096 131.793
24 0.316 0.1509 91.369 24 0.316 0.2096 126.912
Table 2: specimen results 1 and 2

SPECIMEN NUMBER 3 SPECIMEN NUMBER 4

Specimen Strain Load Deviator Specimen Strain Load Deviator
Deformatio Stress Deformatio Stress
n (mms) 1 (kN) (kN/sq.m. n (mms) 1 (kN) (kN/sq.m.
) )
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 SL-T Technical Note // CIVE224

x 1=x/L W =W(1-1)/A x 1=x/L W =W(1-1)/A

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0.5 0.007 0.018 15.473 0.5 0.007 0.048 42.023
1 0.013 0.023 20.173 1 0.013 0.074 64.712
1.5 0.020 0.057 49.534 1.5 0.020 0.093 80.330
2 0.026 0.061 52.906 2 0.026 0.101 87.028
4 0.053 0.080 66.986 4 0.053 0.125 104.797
6 0.079 0.113 92.105 6 0.079 0.144 117.373
8 0.105 0.145 114.811 8 0.105 0.167 132.231
10 0.132 0.156 119.888 10 0.132 0.189 145.249
12 0.158 0.178 132.650 12 0.158 0.198 147.555
14 0.184 0.188 135.724 14 0.184 0.211 152.329
16 0.211 0.201 140.429 16 0.211 0.224 156.497
18 0.237 0.214 144.527 18 0.237 0.229 154.658
20 0.263 0.215 140.196 20 0.263 0.236 153.889
22 0.289 0.217 136.446 22 0.289 0.241 151.537
24 0.316 0.217 131.393 24 0.316 0.242 146.530
Table 3: specimen results 3 and 4

o Graphs

Deviator stress vs strain

180.000

160.000

140.000
Deviator Stress (kN/sq.m.)

120.000

100.000

80.000

60.000

40.000

20.000

0.000
0.000 0.050 0.100 0.150 0.200 0.250 0.300 0.350

Strain

Figure 1: the 4 Specimens Deviator stress against axial strain

o Failure point

1 2 3 4
91.369 126.912 131.393 146.530

o Calculations

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- Unconfined strength:
τ f =σ tan ϕ +C
S ( ue )
C= ,
2
2P
 S ( ue ) =
πDL
τ f :Shear strength.
σ : Normal stress
ϕ : Angle of internal friction.
C :Cohesion coefficient .
S ( ue ) :Unconfined compressive strength
Specimen 1:
2 x 0.1509 2
S ( ue ) = =33.264 kN /m
π x 0.038 x 0.076
Specimen 2:
2 x 0.2096 2
S ( ue ) = =46.203 kN /m
π x 0.038 x 0.076
Specimen 3:
2 x 0.217 kN
S ( ue ) = =47.834 2
π x 0.038 x 0.076 m
Specimen 4:
2 x 0.242 kN
S ( ue ) = =53.345 2
π x 0.038 x 0.076 m

- Cohesion Coefficient Factor:

Specimen 1:
33.264
C= =¿16.632
2

Specimen 2:
46.203
C= =23.101
2
Specimen 3:
47.834
C= =23.917
2
Specimen 4:
53.345
C= =26.672
2

- Moisture content percentage

weight of moist soil − weight of dried soil

moisture content percentage : x 100
weight of dried soil
Specimen 1:
Weight of Moist soil: 165 gms , Weight of Dried soil : 134 gms

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 SL-T Technical Note // CIVE224

165 −134
moisture content %= x 100=23.134 %
134
Specimen 2:
Weight of Moist soil: 177 gms , Weight of Dried soil: 140 gms
177 − 140
moisture content %= x 100=26.428 %
140
Specimen 3:
Weight of Moist soil: 179 gms , Weight of Dried soil: 139 gms
179 −139
moisture content %= x 100=28.777 %
139
Specimen 4:
Weight of Moist soil: 178 gms , Weight of Dried soil: 137 gms
178 −137
moisture content %= x 100=29.927 %
137

- Saturation Degree:
Volume of water
S.D. =
volume of voids
GxW
Dry unit weight : S . D .=
e
G ( 1+w ) y w
Void volume :e= −1
yb
w w +w s
 Bulk unit weight: y b=
vt
wet weight of specimen before test
Water content =
dry weight of specimen after test
e: Void’s volume
G x W: volume of water
y b : Bulks unit weight
w w :Wet weight of the specimen
w s : Dry weight of the specimen
v t :Total volume
W :Water content ∈ specimen
Constants:
y w =9.81 , G=2.7
Total volume:
v t=¿ 0.00113 x 76 x 10-3 8.588 ×10− 5 m3

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 SL-T Technical Note // CIVE224

Specimen 1:
165
W= =1.231
134
−3 −3
16 5 ×10 + 134 ×10 kg
y b= −5
=3481.602 3
8.588 ×10 m
2.7 ( 1+1.231 ) x 9.81
e= −1=0.9830
3481.602
2.7 x 1.231
S . D .= =3.381
0.9830
Specimen 2:
17 7
W= =1.264
140
−3 −3
177 ×10 +140 ×10 kg
y b= −5
=3691.197 3
8.588 ×10 m
2.7 ( 1+1.264 ) x 9.81
e= − 1=0.983 8
36 91.197
2.7 x 1.264
S . D .= =3. 468
0.9838

Specimen 3:
17 9
W= =1.288
139
−3 −3
179 ×10 + 139× 10 kg
y b= −5
=3702.841 3
8.588 ×10 m
2.7 ( 1+1.288 ) x 9.81
e= − 1=0.98 36
3702. 841
2.7 x 1.288
S . D .= =3.535
0.98 36

Specimen 4:
178
W= =1.2 99
1 37
178 ×10− 3 +137 ×10− 3 kg
y b= −5
=3667.908 3
8.588 ×10 m
2.7 ( 1+1.299 ) x 9.81
e= −1=0.98 34
3 667.908
2.7 x 1.299
S . D .= =3.566
0.983 4

water content bulk unit weight void ratio saturation

specimen

1 1.231 3481.602 0.9830 3.381

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 SL-T Technical Note // CIVE224

2 1.264 3691.197 0.9838 3.468

3 1.288 3702.481 0.9836 3.535

4 1.299 3667.908 0.9834 3.566

Table 4: Saturation calculations 

o Discussion

The experiment was carried out, the data were collected, and the calculations were
determined, the obtained values of the experiment were summarized in this section and the
clay can be classified in a velvet glove. For each specimen the moisture content percentage
differs. The different values of the moisture content percentage for the 4 clay samples
respectively are: 23.134%, 26.428%, 28.777% and 29.927%. The first specimen has the
lowest humidity at 23.134% with a weight of 165gms before the experiment and after going
through the process of the water pressure and the soil particles dried the weight decreases to
134gms. Furthermore, the lowest density which is 3481.602 kg/m3 is for sample 1 while
sample 4 has the highest density of 3667.908 kg/m3. The properties of the soil and strength
can be easily affected by the density.

o Conclusion

To conclude, the graphs for the clay samples were plotted and stress and strain were
calculated. Moreover, the samples were examined under different values of pressures.

it was possible to classify the 4 specimens, and this was based on the obtained value of
the cohesion coefficient.