Unit 9

Shear Strength

Dr. Jitendra Singh Yadav

Assistant Professor-I
Dept of Civil Engineering
1

NIT Kurukshetra, Kurukshetra Haryana

• Introduction,

• Mohr stress circle,

• Mohr-coulomb failure-criterion,

• Relationship between principal stresses at failure,

• Shear tests: direct shear test, unconfined compression test, triaxial compression tests, drainage conditions and

strength parameters, vane shear test,

• Shear strength characteristics of sands, normally consolidated clays, over-consolidated clays and partially saturated

soils

• Sensitivity and thixotropy.

Stress state
The concept of stress:

• Defined as the force (internal F

resistance) per unit area
• Can not be measured directly
• Gives no indications of how forces Stress,
are transmitted through stressed σ=
material F/A
• The manner of transfer of forces in solid
crystalline material is different from point
to point contact transfer in materials F
like soil.
General State of Stress
σy> σx
General State of Stress

Inclination of principle plane is obtained by substituting tn =0

 Stress at a point

➢ When this circle is plotted in t -  space, it is known as the Mohr

circle of stress.

o It represents the state of stress at a point at equilibrium

o It applies to any material, not just soil

(Note: Scales for t and  have to be same to obtain a circle)

Mohr Circle for General State of Stress
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DH3546mSC
M
Mohr circles: Example
The stress on a soil mass are shown in the following figure. Determine,

a) the magnitude of principal stresses using Mohr’s circle

b) the magnitude of normal and shear stresses on plane ‘AC’ shown in
figure.
y
100 kN/m2
B
C

35° 50 kN/m2

25 kN/m2
A

z
 Mohr circles: Solution
Available information:- y = 50kN/m2, z = 100 kN/m2, tyz = 25 kN/m2

Step 1: Mark a point P(y , tyz ) and point Q(z , tzy ) on −t co-ordinate system.

t Q( )

P( −)
Step 2: Join point P and Q with a straight line

t Q( )

P( −)
Step 3: Draw a circle considering intersecting point of s axis and line PQ (Point
O) as the centre and distance OP as the radius
Mohr’s stress circle

t Q( )


o

P( −)
Step 3: Draw a circle considering intersecting point of s axis and line PQ (Point O) as the centre
and distance OP as the radius

t Q( )
Principal stresses
on the plane where
shear stress is zero.
  i.e. where Mohr’s
 circle cross  axis
o

Major Principal stress = 110.36 kPa

Minor Principal stress = 39.64 kPa
P(50, -25)
Stresses on the plane inclined at 35° to ‘z’ plane

t Q( )

Plane inclined at
35° to ‘z’ plane
 70° 

o

P(50, -25)
Stresses on the plane inclined at 35° to ‘z’ plane

t Q( )

n n =  kPa

t =  kPa
 t 70° 

o

P(50, -25)
Mohr Circle of stress

’
1

’
’ ’
3
t 3

Soil element 
’
1

Resolving forces in  and t directions,

 1' −  3'
t= Sin2 ' 2
  +   −
' 2 
' '
2
 +   −  t +  ' −
2 1 3
 = 
1 3

 
' ' ' '
 ' = 1 3 + 1 3 Cos 2  2   2 
2 2
Mohr Circles
 The Mohr circle construction enables the stresses acting in different directions at a point on a plane to
be determined, provided that the stress acting normal to the plane is a principal stress.
 The construction is useful in Soil Mechanics because many practical situations may be approximated
as plane strain.
 The sign convention is different to that used in Structural analysis because it is conventional to take
compressive stresses positive
 Sign convention: Compressive normal stresses positive
Anti-clockwise shear stresses positive (from inside element)
Angles measured clockwise are positive
Mohr Circle of stress

' 2
 '  +
' ' 2
  −
'
  1' −  3'
t +  −  = 
2 1 3 1 3 2
 2 
 2    ’
 3'  1' +  3'  1'
2
Mohr Circle of stress

t (’, t)
' 2
 '  +
' ' 2
  −
'
  1' −  3'
t +  −  = 
2 1 3 1 3 2
 2  
 2    ’
 3'  1' +  3'  1'
2

PD = Pole w.r.t.
plane
 Mohr’s stress circle
➢ Mohr's circle is a geometric representation of the two- dimensional stress state and is
very useful to perform quick and efficient estimations.
➢ It is also popularly used in geotechnical fields such as soil strength, stress path, earth
pressure and bearing capacity. It is often used to interpret the test data, to analyze
complex geotechnical problems, and to predict soil behaviours.
➢ The pole point on Mohr's circle is a point so special
that it can help to readily find stresses on any
specified plane by using diagram instead of
complicated computation.
Mohr’s stress circle: Pole points

➢A Pole is a unique point located on the circumference of Mohr’s

circle.
➢ The point of intersection of Mohr’s stress circle and line drawn
through the pole parallel to a given plane, gives the stresses on that
plane.
➢ Two pole points can be established,
a) Relating to the direction of action of stresses, and
b) Relating to the direction of planes on which stresses are
acting.
➢ Usually the pole point relating to the direction of the planes are in
use.
Mohr’s stress circle: Pole points for stresses- Procedure
Step : Project the line from the point (z, tzx) in the line of action of z (Vertical)
OR
Project the line from the point (x, txz) in the line of action of x
(Horizontal) till it intersects the circumference of the circle.
The intersection point gives the POLE point Ps for stresses.

txz
t x t
(z, tzx
(z, tzx
tzx
z )
)
 

(x, Ps Pole (x, Ps

txz) points for txz)
stresses
Mohr’s stress circle: Pole points for planes- Procedure

Step : Project the line from the point (z, tzx) OR (x, txz) in the direction of plane
on which these stresses are acting till it intersect circumference of the
circle.
The intersection point gives the POLE point Pp for planes.
Pole point for planes

t (z, txz t
Pp x Pp (z, tzx
tzx)
tzx )
z
 

(x, Ps (x, Ps
Pole
txz) txz)
point for
stresses
Example
Mohr circles in terms of total & effective stresses

v v ’ u

h h’ u
X
= X
+ X

effective stresses
total stresses

h’ v ’ h v  or ’
u
Mohr circles of total and effective stresses

t Effective stress circle Total stress circle

 , t  , t

  
3 1 3 1

1 = 1 - u u
3 = 3 - u
 Mohr circles of total and effective stresses
➢ The effective stress circle has the same diameter as the total stress circle
and is separated from it by the pore water pressure.

➢ The stresses t and  are the effective stresses acting on plane inclined
at an angle 

➢ By examining the circles we note that t = t

 =  - u

➢ Thus, for a given state of total stress, changes in pore pressure have no
effect on the effective shear stresses, they alter only the effective normal
stresses.
Mohr circles of total and effective stresses
➢ Use the pole construction on the effective stress Mohr’s circle to calculate the
effective stresses on any plane is exactly same way as we used the pole
construction to calculate total stresses.

➢ The position of the pole in the Mohr’s circle of effective stress is the same as in the
Mohr’s circle of total stress and the locations of the principal planes of total and
effective stresses in the soil are identical.
Total and effective stress circles

➢ The total stress and

effective stres
Mohr circless have
the same radius,
but are separated
along the σ axis by
an amount equal to
the pore pressure.

➢ Inability of the pore

water to resist shear
stress, so that shear
stresses are resisted
entirely by contact
forces between soil ➢ Shear stresses
grains. are not affected
by pore pressure
Thanks !!!