DIRECT SHEAR TEST

1. Objective
For any soil Cohesion (C) and Angle of Internal Friction (Ø) are two important engineering properties,
which indicate the shear strength of soil. These two parameters are required for design of slopes,
calculation bearing capacity of any strata, calculation of consolidation parameters and in many other
analyses. Direct shear test is used to predict these parameters quickly, especially in cohesionless soils.

2. Apparatus Required

Fig. 1: Direct Shear Test Apparatus

Loading Frame, Weights, Proving Ring, Micrometer Dial Gauge, Sample

Trimmer or Core Cutter, Stop Watch, Balance, Spatula, Straight Edge, Shear
box grid plates, porous stones, base plates, loading pad and water jacket
shall conform to IS : 11229-1985.

(a) Upper and lower parts of shear box coupled together with two pins

(b) Grid plates - 2 pairs

(c) Stone plates

(d) 4 Base plate

(e) Top plate

(f) Loading pad, and

Fig. 2: Weighing balance

The balance of 1 kg capacity, sensitive to 0.1 g.

3. Reference
IS 2720(Part 13):1986 Methods of test for soils: Direct shear test. Reaffirmed- 2016.

4. Preparation Of Specimen
1. Undisturbed Specimen -Specimens of required size shall be prepared from the undisturbed specimen
collected from field in accordance with IS : 2720 (Part 1)-1983.
2. Remoulded Specimens :
a. Cohesive soils may be compacted to the required density and moisture content, the sample extracted
and then trimmed to the required size. Alternatively, the soil may be compacted to the required
density and moisture content directly into the shear box after fixing the two-halves of the shear box
together by means of the fixing screws.
b. Cohesionless soils may be tamped in the shear box itself with the base plate and grid plate or porous
stone as required in place at the bottom of the box.
c. The cut specimen shall be weighed and trimmings obtained during cutting shall be used to obtain the
moisture content. Using this information, the bulk dry density of the specimen in the shear box shall
be determined.

5. Procedure
5.1 Undrained Test- The shear box with the specimen, plain grid plate over the base plate at the
bottom of the specimen and plain grid plate at the top of the specimen should be fitted into position in the
load frame. The serrations of the grid plates should be at right angles to the direction of Shear. The loading
pad should be placed on the top grid plate. The water jacket should be provided so that the sample does
not get dried during the test. The required normal stress should be applied and the rate of longitudinal
displacement/shear stress application so adjusted that no drainage can occur in the sample during the test.
The upper part of the shear box should be raised such that a gap of about 1 mm is left between the two
parts of the box. The test may now be conducted by applying horizontal shear load to failure or to 20
percent longitudinal displacement, whichever occurs first. The shear load readings indicated by the proving
ring assembly and the corresponding longitudinal displacements should be noted at regular intervals. If
necessary, the vertical compression, if any, of the soil specimen may be measured to serve as a check to
ensure that drainage has not taken place from the soil specimen. At the end of the test, the specimen
should be removed from the box and the final moisture content measured. A minimum of three (preferably
four) tests shall be made on separate specimens of the same density.
NOTE - As porous stones are not used for the undrained tests, plain plates of equal thickness should be
substituted in their place so as to maintain the shear plane in the sample in the middle of its thickness.
5.2 Consolidated Undrained Test-The apparatus should be assembled in a way similar to that given in
5.1 except that instead of the plain grid plates, perforated grid plates and saturated porous stones should
be used at the top and bottom of the specimen. The procedure is same as in 5.1 except that after the
application of normal stress, the vertical compression of the soil with time should be recorded [IS : 2720 (
Part 15 )-1986. The shear test should be conducted only after complete consolidation has occurred under
the particular normal stress. The rate of shear should be such that water does not drain from the specimen
at the time of application of the shear load. At the end of the test, the specimen should be removed from
the box and the final moisture content measured. A minimum of three (preferably four) tests should be
made on separated specimens of the same density at different normal stresses.
5.3 Consolidated Drained Test-The shear box with sample and perforated grid plates and porous
stones should be fitted into the load frame.After application of normal stress which is done in increments [
see IS : 2720 ( Part 15 )-1986, the sample should be allowed to consolidate. When the consolidation has
completely occurred, the shear test should be done at such a slow rate that at least 95 percent pore
pressure dissipation occurs during the test in this calculated time factor. At the end of the test, the
specimen should be removed from the box and the final moisture content measured. A minimum of three
(preferably four) tests should be made on separate specimens of the same density at different normal
stresses.
5.4 The normal stresses to be selected for the test should correspond to the field conditions and design
requirements.

6. Calculation And Report

1. From the calibration chart of the proving-ring, the loads corresponding to the load dial readings obtained
during the the test should be calculated. The loads so obtained divided by the corrected cross-sectional
area of the specimen gives the shear stress in the sample. The corrected cross-sectional area shall be
calculated from the following equation:
Corrected Area = A0(1 - (δ/3))
Where
A0 = initial area of the specimen in cm2 and
δ = displacement in cm.
2. The longitudinal displacement at a particular load may be either noted directly from the strain dial
readings or calculated as the product of the corresponding time reading and the strain rate, allowing for
the compression of the proving-ring, where applicable. The stress longitudinal displacement readings
should be plotted and the maximum stress and corresponding longitudinal displacement together with
the normal load applied during the test recorded.
NOTE : In general, failure in direct shear may be considered to take place either at maximum shear or at
the maximum obliquity of the Mohr failure envelope. If the failure is assumed to take place at maximum
shear and not at maximum obliquity, the angle of shearing resistance thus obtained will be smaller,
giving an error, if any, on the safe side. It should, however, be noted that differences in the values of the
angle of shearing resistance obtained by using the two criteria mentioned above are more important for
sands than for clays.
3. The maximum shear stress and the corresponding longitudinal displacement and applied normal stress
should be recorded for each test and the results should be presented in the form of a graph in which the
applied normal stress is plotted as abscissa and the maximum shearing stress is plotted as ordinate to
the same scale. The angle which the resulting straight line makes with the horizontal axis and the
intercept which the straight line makes with the vertical axis shall be reported as the angle of shearing
resistance and cohesion intercept respectively.
NOTE : The normal stress-maximum shear stress relationship may not be a straight line in all cases. In
such cases, the shear parameters may be obtained by drawing a tangent to the normal stress expected
in the field.
4. In the case of the consolidated undrained and consolidated drained tests, the load at which the
specimen is consolidated and the consolidation characteristics as determined during the consolidation
part of the test should also be reported.

7. Observation And Recording

Project :..................... Location of samples : ........................
Rate of Strain :.............. Bore hole No..... Sample No........
Proving-ring/load cell No. : ........
Calibration curve :........
Load-hanger lever ratio : ...........
Soil Specimen Measurements
Dimensions :................... Area of specimen : .................
Thickness : ................... Volume of specimen :................
lnitial wet weight of specimen : ......................
Moisture content :................. (Average of ............tests)
Bulk density :................
Final wet weight of the specimen : ................
Moisture content at shear zone : ..................
Consolidation
Hanger load : ............. Applied load : ...................
Normal stress : ...........

Date
Vertical Dial Vertical Dial Thickness of
and
Reading Difference Specimen
Time
1
2
3
4
Shearing Stage Rate of Shearing .............................. mm/min
Date Stress Vertical Vertical Thickness
Displacement Area Corrected Shear Shear
and Displacement,δ Dial Dial Dial of
Dial Reading Correction Area Force Stress
Time Reading Reading Difference Specimen
1
2
3
4

Plot Shear normal stress displacement curve and find :

(a) Maximum shear stress and
(b) Corresponding shear displacement

Summary of Results

Shear
Shear Initial Final
Test Normal Stress
Displacement Water Water Remarks
No. Stress at
at Failure Content Content
Failure
1
2
3
4
Plot Shear normal stress displacement curve and find :
(a) Cohesion intercept and
(b) Angle of Shearing resistance

8. General Remarks
1. In the shear box test, the specimen is not failing along its weakest plane but along a predetermined or
induced failure plane i.e. horizontal plane separating the two halves of the shear box. This is the main
drawback of this test. Moreover, during loading, the state of stress cannot be evaluated. It can be
evaluated only at failure condition i.e. Mohr’s circle can be drawn at the failure condition only. Also
failure is progressive.
2. Direct shear test is simple and faster to operate. As thinner specimens are used in shear box, they
facilitate drainage of pore water from a saturated sample in less time. This test is also useful to study
friction between two materials, one material in lower half of box and another material in the upper half
of box.
3. The angle of shearing resistance of sands depends on state of compaction, coarseness of grains, particle
shape and roughness of grain surface and grading. It varies between 28o (uniformly graded sands with
round grains in very loose state) to 46o (well graded sand with angular grains in dense state).
4. The volume change in sandy soil is a complex phenomenon depending on gradation, particle shape,
state and type of packing, orientation of principal planes, principal stress ratio, stress history, magnitude
of minor principal stress, type of apparatus, test procedure, method of preparing specimen etc. In
general loose sands expand and dense sands contract in volume on shearing. There is a void ratio at
which either expansion contraction in volume takes place. This void ratio is called critical void ratio.
Expansion or contraction can be inferred from the movement of vertical dial gauge during shearing.
5. The friction between sand particles is due to sliding and rolling friction and interlocking action. The
ultimate values of shear parameter for both loose sand and dense sand approximately attain the same
value so, if angle of friction value is calculated at ultimate stage, slight disturbance in density during
sampling and preparation of test specimens will not have much effect.
6. IS:2720 (Part-13) covers the methods for determination of shear strength of soil with a maximum
particle size of 4.75mm in undrained, consolidated undrained and consolidated drained conditions.
9. Video
Direct Shear Test