Shear Strength F23

11/3/2023
4th Year Architecture
Dr. Asmaa Moddather

Soil Mechanics and Foundations
Faculty of Engineering – Cairo University
FALL 2023
Temporary Earth Retaining Structures
• Why is it important to use retaining walls?

• Why design should be done with great care?
Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023
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Temporary Earth Retaining Structures
Collapse of Lotus Riverside Block 7 (Shanghai)
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Introduction
• Soil fail in shear.
• Shear strength of soil is the internal resistance that the

soil mass offer to resist failure/sliding along any plane
inside it.
• Shear failure will occur at points where shear stresses

(τ) exceeds soil’s shear strength (S).
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Introduction
• Shear stresses are generated into the soil mass due to

adding external loads and/or excavations.
• The engineer needs to know the nature of shearing

resistance in the soil mass to analyze problems such as:
o bearing capacity of foundations.
o stability of slopes.
o lateral pressure on retaining walls.
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Introduction
Stable mass
Failure surface
Bearing capacity of
Foundation
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Shear Failure Criterion in Soil

• Shear resistance in soils is due to:
o Friction and interlocking between soil particles Friction
component
o Inter-particle attraction forces (due to electro-chemical effects)
Cohesion component
• The shear strength (S) of soil at a point is expressed as a linear

function of the effective normal stress (σ’) acting on plane of
failure:
S = c + σtanφ
where, c and φ are the shear strength parameters
c: cohesion
φ: angle of shearing resistance
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τ Mohr-Coulomb shear strength

failure envelope
c
σ
τ f = S = c + σtanφ
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Shear strength
τ failure envelope
(σf, τf )
c Elastic equilibrium
σ’
Plastic equilibrium
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Factors affecting Soil Shear Strength (S)

• For coarse grained soils, S depends on friction and interlocking
between particles (φ):
o Relative density:
v. loose versus v. dense τ
small φ large φ
o Gradation:
Φ
poorly graded versus well graded
small φ large φ
o Particle shape: σ’
rounded versus angular
small φ large φ
o Particle surface roughness (as roughness

increases, φ increases)
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• For coarse grained soil:
τ
o φ ranges from 27o to 45o
o φdry ~ φwet Φ
c=0
σ’
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• For fine grained soils, S depends on cohesion (c):
o Stress history
τ
o Soil fabric
Φu=0
o Soil disturbance
cu
o Soil permeability
σ’
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Shear Strength Tests
• Shear strength parameters for a particular soil are

determined by means of laboratory tests on specimens
sampled from in-situ soil.
• Great care is required in sampling, storage, and handling

of samples prior to testing, especially in case of
undisturbed samples where it is necessary to preserve the
in-situ structure and water content of soil.
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Direct Shear Test
• Shear box apparatus.
Vertical displacement dial gage
Motor, applies horizontal Shear box

Proving ring
displacement at constant rate
Weights to apply normal load

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Direct Shear Test
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Direct Shear Test

• Schematic of shear box apparatus:
Loading plate
• Sample may be circular or square

• Area of sample is ~ 3 to 4 in2, 1 inch high
• Box is split into 2 halves
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Direct Shear Test
Preparation of a sand specimen
Porous
plates
Components of the shear box Preparation of a sand specimen
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Direct Shear Test

Preparation of a sand specimen Pressure plate
Leveling the top surface of Specimen preparation completed

specimen
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Direct Shear Test Steel ball

P
Pressure plate
Porous
plates
Proving ring
to measure
shear force
Step 1: Apply a vertical load to the specimen and wait for consolidation
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Direct Shear Test Steel ball

P
Pressure plate
Porous
plates
Proving ring
to measure
shear force
Step 1: Apply a vertical load to the specimen and wait for consolidation
Step 2: Lower box is subjected to a horizontal displacement at a constant rate

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Direct Shear Test Procedure

1. Assemble the apparatus (sample, porous stones, filter paper (if
needed), shear box parts) and fill shear box with water if needed.
2. Apply normal force on top of shear box (N1).
3. Shear force is applied to specimen by moving one half of the box
relative to the other to cause failure in the soil specimen. Shearing
force is measured by proving ring or load cell.
Picture of sample after

failure
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for different normal forces (N2, N3).
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Direct Shear Test Analysis

3. For test 1, get σ’1 and τmax1 = τf1.
For test 2, get σ’2 and τmax2 = τf2.
For test 3, get σ’3 and τmax3 = τf3.
4. Plot:
τ
Test (3)
(σ’3, τf3) Φ’
Test (2)
(σ’2, τf2) Note: horizontal and vertical
Test (1) axes MUST be drawn with the
(σ’1, τf1) same scale
σ’
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Shear Test
• Advantages:
1. Simple
2. Not expensive
• Disadvantages:
1. Failure occurs at a predetermined plane, not necessarily the

weakest plane (might overestimate strength).
2. Shear stress distribution over the shear surface of the

specimen is not uniform (stress concentration at corners).
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Unconfined Compression Test
Loading frame
Proving ring
(measures axial load)
Dial gage
(measures axial displacement)
Sample
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• Sample Placement:
1. Trim sample to required dimensions (h/d ~ 2).
2. Place sample on the loading device. Begin test immediately

as drying will alter sample’s characteristics considerably.
3. Lower loading piston until it contacts specimen.
4. Begin the test, continue until load values decrease or until

20% strain is reached.
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Stress, σ
qu
a,f
Strain, (%)
qu = unconfined strength
cu = undrained shear strength = qu/2
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qu
φu = 0
cu
qu
σ
qu = unconfined strength
cu = undrained shear strength = qu/2
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Example (1)
•A shear-box test carried out on a sand soil, gave the
following results: (Area of box = 36 cm2)
σ (kg/cm2) 1.64 3.27 4.91 6.54
τ (kg/cm2) 0.88 1.77 2.63 3.52
Determine the cohesion intercept and the angle of

shearing resistance.
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Example (1)
4.00
3.50
3.00
Shear Stress, τ (kg/cm2)
2.50
φ
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7
Normal stress, σ (kg/cm2)
c = zero
φ = 28o
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Example (2)
• A clay specimen failed at unconfined strength value of 400 kN/m2
when placed in an unconfined test apparatus, what would be the
undrained shear strength for the tested specimen?
τ
φu = 0
cu Undrained Shear strength:

cu = qu/2 = 400/2 = 200 kN/m2
σ
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11/3/2023

4th Year Architecture

Dr. Asmaa Moddather

Temporary Earth Retaining Structures

• Why is it important to use retaining walls?

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Temporary Earth Retaining Structures

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Collapse of Lotus Riverside Block 7 (Shanghai)

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Collapse of Lotus Riverside Block 7 (Shanghai)

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Collapse of Lotus Riverside Block 7 (Shanghai)

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Collapse of Lotus Riverside Block 7 (Shanghai)

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Collapse of Lotus Riverside Block 7 (Shanghai)

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Collapse of Lotus Riverside Block 7 (Shanghai)

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

• Soil fail in shear.

• Shear strength of soil is the internal resistance that the

• Shear failure will occur at points where shear stresses

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

• Shear stresses are generated into the soil mass due to

• The engineer needs to know the nature of shearing

o lateral pressure on retaining walls.

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Shear Failure Criterion in Soil

• The shear strength (S) of soil at a point is expressed as a linear

Shear Failure Criterion in Soil

τ Mohr-Coulomb shear strength

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Shear Failure Criterion in Soil

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Factors affecting Soil Shear Strength (S)

o Particle surface roughness (as roughness

Factors affecting Soil Shear Strength (S)

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Factors affecting Soil Shear Strength (S)

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Shear Strength Tests

• Shear strength parameters for a particular soil are

• Great care is required in sampling, storage, and handling

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Direct Shear Test

• Shear box apparatus.

Vertical displacement dial gage

Motor, applies horizontal Shear box

Weights to apply normal load

Direct Shear Test

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023

Direct Shear Test

• Sample may be circular or square

Direct Shear Test

Preparation of a sand specimen

Components of the shear box Preparation of a sand specimen

Dr. Asmaa Moddather – FOUNDATIONS – Fall 2023