GEOTECHNICAL

ENGINEERING
 UNIT – IV

SHEAR STRENGTH
INTRODUCTION
■ SHEAR STRENGTH of the soil is the maximum shear resistance
developed by soil against the loads before its failure

■ Shear failure of the soil occurs when the shear stresses induced

due to compressive forces exceed the shear strength of the soil

■ It is the principle engineering property of soil which controls the

stability of the soil under loads

■ All the problems of soil engineering (BC, SS, EP) directly or

indirectly related to the shear strength of soil

STRESS SYSTEM
■ Three dimensional stress system
■ Plane strain conditions are assumed
■ Two dimensional stress system
■ Principle plane : plane on which the shear stresses are zero

σ1 = maximum principal stress

σ3 = minor principle stress
If σ is the normal stress action on the plane AB
τ is the shear stress action on the plane AB
θ is the angle measured counter clock wise with principal plane AC

𝜎1 +𝜎3 𝜎1 −𝜎3
Then 𝜎= + cos 2θ
2 2

𝜎1 −𝜎3
τ= sin 2θ
2
MOHR’S STRESS CIRCLE
■ Graphical method to determine the stresses on a plane inclined to the
principal plane.

■ Normal stresses are plotted on horizontal axis

Shear stresses are plotted on vertical axis

■ Normal stresses are positive if compressive in nature

Shear stresses are positive if they produce counter clockwise couple

σ1 = maximum principal stress

σ3 = minor principle stress

σ1 = OF
σ2 = OE

𝜎1 +𝜎3
OC = 2

C is center of circle

EF is diameter = 𝜎1 − 𝜎3

Radius of the circle

𝜎1 − 𝜎3
R= 2
■ Let σ and τ are stresses acting on the plane AB, which makes angle

θ with the major principle plane

■ D is the point on the circle which shows stresses on the plane AB

If, ED makes angle θ with the major principle plane

then CD makes angle 2θ with the major principle plane

𝜎1 +𝜎3 𝜎1 −𝜎3
Normal stress at D, σ = OH = OC+CH = + cos 2θ
2 2

𝜎1 −𝜎3
Shear stress at D, τ = DH = sin 2θ
2

■ OD represents resultant of normal and shear stresses on plane AB

𝛽 = 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠

MOHR- COULOMB FAILURE THEORY
■ Shear failure in soil occurs due to slippage of particles due to shear
stresses

■ But shear stresses depends upon the normal stresses on failure plane

■ Mohr's theory stated that failure is caused by critical combination of

normal and shear stresses

■ Soil fails when shear stress on failure plane is a unique function of normal
stress on that plane

Shear stress at failure, 𝜏𝑓 = 𝑓(𝜎)

shear strength, 𝑠 = 𝑓(𝜎)

• A plot can be made between shear stress and normal stress at failure

which is called Mohr's envelope

• Soil fails in shear when Mohr's envelope touches the Mohr's circle

• The point D shows the critical combination of normal stress and shear

stress at failure

• Any Mohr's circle which does not cross the

failure envelope or below the envelope

represents stable condition

■ Coulomb’s states that shear strength of a soil at any point on a particular
plane is a linear function of normal stress and is given by

𝒔 = 𝒄 + 𝝈 𝒕𝒂𝒏∅

Where 𝑐 = 𝑐𝑜ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 (independent of normal stress)

∅ = 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (proportional of normal stress)

■ in other words, Mohr's envelope is replaced by a straight line by Coulomb

 REVISED MOHR-COULOMB EQUATION

■ C and ∅ in Mohr - Coulomb equation are not fundamental properties and

they depends on the number of parameters like water content, drainage

conditions... Etc.

■ Terzaghi established that the stresses which control the shear strength are

effective stresses and not the total stresses

Then, Revised Mohr - Coulomb equation 𝒔 = 𝒄′ + 𝝈 𝒕𝒂𝒏∅’

Where 𝒄′ and ∅’ are cohesion intercept and angle of shearing resistance in

terms of effective stress

■ Shear stresses are to be carried only by the skeleton of solid particles.

■ Total normal stress = component of stress carried by solid particles

( effective stress)

pressure in the fluid in the void space

( pore water pressure )

𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝝈 = 𝝈′ + 𝒖

𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝝈′ = 𝝈 − 𝒖
𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉 𝒔 = 𝒄′ + (𝝈 − 𝒖)𝒕𝒂𝒏∅′

■ Pore pressure 𝒖 is developed when the testing of the soil is done under
undrained conditions