UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL, MINING AND

ENVIRONMENT AL ENGINEERING

Geomechanics 1 - CIVL361
Tutorial 1: Shear Strength of Soils and Rocks

1. A sample of dense dry sand is subjected to a triaxial test. The angle of internal
friction is believed to be about 37º. If the minor principal stress is 200 kN/m2, at
what value of the major principal stress is the sample likely to fail? Answer: 804.5
kN/m2

2. Solve problem 1 on the assumption that the sand has a slight cohesion, equal to 10
kN/m2. Answer: 844.6 kN/m2

3. The shearing resistance of a soil is determined by the equation,  = c + ntan. Two

triaxial tests are performed on the material. In the first test the all-round pressure is
200 kN/m2, and failure occurs at an added axial unit stress of 600 kN/m2. In the
second test the all-round pressure is 350 kN/m2 and failure occurs at an added stress
of 1050 kN/m2. What values of c and  correspond to the test results? Answer: 0;
37º

4. Two C-U tests are made on remoulded samples of the same clay. One is
consolidated under 166.7 kN/m2 and fails at an added axial stress of 121.6 kN/m2
when the measured pore water pressure is 104.9 kN/m2. The corresponding values
for the other test are:

418.7 306.0 264.8 (kN/m2)

What are the values of cu and ' for the clay? Answer: 15.5 º; 30º

5. A C-U triaxial test was performed on a clay specimen with a cell pressure of 2.0
kg/cm2, failed at a deviator stress of 2.8 kg/cm2 with the failure plane inclined at
57º and u = 1.8 kg/cm2, determine the normal and the shear stresses on the failure
surface and the maximum shear stress on the clay specimen. Answer: 1.27 kg/cm2,
2,83 kg/cm2, and 45º

6. Using the data from problem-5 and assuming an angle of internal friction of 24º
and c’ = 0.80 kg/cm2, show why the clay specimen would fail at 57º instead of the
plane of maximum shear stress.

7. Continuing with the data from problems 5 and 6, the same clay specimen is now
loaded slowly in a drained test (i.e. u = 0), determine, both analytically and
graphically that the major principal stress at the failure. Answer: 2.38 kg/cm2

CIVL 361 Geomechanics 1 Module 7: Shear Strength of Soils and Rocks

Tutorial 1 1/1
 8. A C-D triaxial test was performed on normally consolidated clay and the following
results were obtained: Effective minor principal stress = 276 kPa and the deviator
stress at the failure is 276 kPa. Draw the Mohr circle and failure envelop, and
determine the angle of internal friction, the inclination of failure plane with the
major principal plane, and the normal and the shear stress magnitudes on the failure
plane. Answer: 19.45o, 54.7o, 368 kPa, and 130 kPa.

9. Two similar clay soil specimens were pre-consolidated in triaxial equipment with a
chamber pressure of 600 kPa. Then, the C-D triaxial tests were performed on these
two specimens and following data obtained:
Specimen 1: 3 = 100 kPa and (Δd)f = 410.6 kPa
Specimen 1: 3 = 50 kPa and (Δd)f = 384.37 kPa
Draw the Mohr circle and determine the cohesion and angle of internal friction.
Answer: 12o and 145 kPa

CIVL 361 Geomechanics 1 Module 7: Shear Strength of Soils and Rocks

Tutorial 1 2/1