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GROUP MEMBERS
HAJIRA ZAHIR
SIRAJ AHMAD
SALMAN KHAN
USAMA AYUB
SAFI UR REHMAN

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 INTRODUCTION

◦ The shear strength of a soil mass is the internal resistance per unit area that
the soil mass can offer to resist failure and sliding along any plane inside it.

◦ The capability of the following comes from the soil shear strength :
 Support loading from structure
 Support its own overburden
 Sustain slope in equilibrium

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Soil derives its shear strength from two sources:

 Cohesion between particles (stress independent component) - c

 Cementation between particle grains.
 Electrostatic attraction between clay particles.
 Predominant in clayey soils.

 Frictional resistance between particles (stress dependent component) - 

 Strength gained from internal frictional resistance (interlocking action
among soil particles).
 Predominant in granular soils.

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COHESION

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 INTERNAL FRICTION

Shear strength is not a unique property of a soil but depends on many factors. 6
◦ Failure happens if the shear stress along the failure
surface reaches the soil’s shear strength.
◦ Soil generally fail in shear.

failure surface mobilised shear

resistance

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 f


• At failure, shear stress along the failure surface ()

reaches the shear strength (f).
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Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criterion
(in terms of total stresses)

 f  c   tan 


Cohesion Friction angle

f
c
 

f is the maximum shear stress the soil can take without

failure, under normal stress of . 9
Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criterion
(in terms of effective stresses)


 f  c' ' tan  '

  u
'

’
u = pore water
Effective pressure
cohesion Effective
f friction angle
c’
’ ’

f is the maximum shear stress the soil can take without

failure, under normal effective stress of ’. 10
Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criterion
Shear strength consists of two components:
cohesive and frictional.


 f  c' ' f tan  '

f
’f tan ’ frictional
’ on ent component
comp
c’ c’ e si ve
co h
’f '

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Normal stresses and shear stresses on any plane can be obtained
with the following equations

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 Principal stresses

or

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Mohr Circles & Failure Envelope


Failure surface  f  c' ' tan  '

Y
Y
X X
’
Soil elements at different locations

Y ~ stable
X ~ failure
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 Laboratory test to determine
shear strength parameters

Direct Shear Test

Unconfined
Triaxial Test
Compression
Test

Vane Shear Test

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 DIRECT SHEAR TEST
Normal load
Top platen

Load cell to measure

Motor drive shear force
Soil

Porous plates

Rollers

Measure relative horizontal displacement, dx and vertical displacement of top platen, dy

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 Direct shear test
NEED AND SCOPE
In many engineering problems such as
• design of foundation,
• retaining walls,
• slab bridges,
• pipes,
• sheet piling,
The value of the angle of internal friction and cohesion of the
soil involved are required for the design.
Direct shear test is used to predict these parameters quickly.
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 Direct shear test

1. This test is performed to determine the consolidated - drained

shear strength of a sandy to silty soil.
2. The shear strength is one of the most important engineering
properties of a soil, because it is required whenever a structure
is dependent on the soil’s shearing resistance.
3. The shear strength is needed for engineering situations such as
determining the stability of slopes or cuts, finding the bearing
capacity for foundations, and calculating the pressure exerted
by a soil on a retaining wall.

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 Apparatus
1.      Direct shear box apparatus
2.      Loading frame (motor attached).
3.      Dial gauge.
4.      Proving ring.
5.      Tamper.
6.      Straight edge.
7.      Balance to weigh upto 200 mg.
8.      Aluminum container.
9.      Spatula. 20
 PROCEDURE

• Check the inner dimension of the soil container.

• Put the parts of the soil container together.
• Calculate the volume of the container. Weigh the container.
• Place the soil in smooth layers (approximately 10 mm thick). If a dense sample is
desired tamp the soil.
• Weigh the soil container, the difference of these two is the weight of the soil.
Calculate the density of the soil.
• Make the surface of the soil plane.
• Put the upper grating on stone and loading block on top of soil.
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Direct shear test
Direct shear test is most suitable for consolidated drained tests
specially on granular soils (e.g.: sand) or stiff clays

Preparation of a sand specimen

Porous
plates

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Components of the shear box Preparation of a sand specimen

Direct shear test
Preparation of a sand specimen
Pressure plate

Leveling the top surface Specimen preparation

of specimen completed
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Direct shear test
P Steel ball
Test procedure
Pressure plate
Porous
plates

Proving ring
to measure
shear force

Step 1: Apply a vertical load to the specimen and wait for consolidation 24
Direct shear test
Steel ball
Test procedure 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 25
 PROCEDURE

8. Measure the thickness of soil specimen.

9. Apply the desired normal load.
10. Remove the shear pin.
11. Attach the dial gauge which measures the change of volume.
12. Record the initial reading of the dial gauge and calibration values.
13. Before proceeding to test check all adjustments to see that there is no connection between two
parts except sand/soil.
14. Start the motor. Take the reading of the shear force and record the reading.
15. Take volume change readings till failure.
16. Add 5 kg normal stress 0.5 kg/cm2 and continue the experiment till failure
17. Record carefully all the readings. Set the dial gauges zero, before starting the experiment
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Direct shear test
Dial gauge to
measure vertical
Shear box displacement

Proving ring
to measure
shear force

Loading frame to Dial gauge to

apply vertical load measure horizontal
displacement
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Direct shear test
Analysis of test results

Normal force (P)

  Normal stress 
Area of cross section of the sample

Shear resistance developed at the sliding surface (S)

  Shear stress 
Area of cross section of the sample

Note: Cross-sectional area of the sample changes with the horizontal

displacement

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Direct shear tests on clays
In case of clay, horizontal displacement should be applied at a very slow
rate to allow dissipation of pore water pressure (therefore, one test would
take several days to finish)

Failure envelopes for clay from drained direct shear tests

Overconsolidated clay (c’ ≠ 0)

Shear stress at failure, tf

Normally consolidated clay (c’ = 0)

f’

Normal force, s
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 Interface tests on direct shear apparatus
In many foundation design problems and retaining wall problems, it is
required to determine the angle of internal friction between soil and the
structural material (concrete, steel or wood)
P

Soil
S

Foundation material

Where,
 f  ca   ' tan  ca = adhesion,
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d = angle of internal friction

 Advantages of direct shear apparatus

 Due to the smaller thickness of the sample, rapid drainage can be

achieved

 Can be used to determine interface strength parameters

 Clay samples can be oriented along the plane of weakness or an

identified failure plane

Disadvantages of direct shear apparatus

 Failure occurs along a predetermined failure plane

 Area of the sliding surface changes as the test progresses

 Non-uniform distribution of shear stress along the failure surface

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