UNCONFINED COMPRESSION TEST

7 MAY 2024
21/5/2024
 UNCONFINED COMPRESSION TEST

1.0 OBJECTIVE
To determine the shear strength of the cohesive soil.

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of this experiment, students are able to:
Perform the unconfined compression test.
Determine the shear strength parameter of the soil samples.

3.0 THEORY

The unconfined compression test is a special type of unconsolidated undrained test that is
commonly used for clay specimens. In this test, the confining pressure, 3 is 0. An axial
load is rapidly applied to the specimens to cause failure. At failure, the total minor
principal stress, 3 is zero and the total major principal stress is 1. Because the
undrained shear strength is independent of the confining pressure, so

where, qu is the unconfined compression strength

The axial load may be applied to the specimen either by the controlled strain procedure,
in which the stress is applied to produce a pre-determined rate of strain, or by the
controlled stress procedure, in which the stress is applied in pre-determined increments of
load. IS: 2720 (Part 10) -1973 recommend the use of controlled strain tests.

The unconfined compression strength can be correlate with the consistencies of clays as
shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Approximate relationship of consistency and unconfined compression strength of

clays
4.0 TEST EQUIPMENT

1. Compression device of any suitable type (loading frame of capacity 2 kN), with a
constant rate
movement.
2. Sample extractor
3. Split moulds 3.5 cm diameter and 7 cm long.
4. Frictionless end plates of 7.5 cm diameter (Perspex plate with silicon grease coating)
5. Oven
6. Balance Sensitive to weigh 0.1 g.
7. Containers for moisture content determination.
8. Proving ring of 0.01 kg sensitivity for soft soils and 0.05 kg for stiff soils.
9. Dial gauge (sensitivity 0.01 mm)
10. Vernier calipers
11. Soil sample = Wet clayed soil

5.0 PREPARATION OF SPECIMEN

1. The split mould (38 mm in diameter) is oiled lightly from inside.
2. Remoulded soil sample is prepared by compacting the soil at desired water content
and dry density in
the split mould.
3. Split mould is opened carefully and sample is taken out.
4. Trim the specimen to the specified dimension (38 mm in diameter and 76 mm
in height).
5. Repeat the procedure 1 to 4.
6. Minimum three soil specimens should be prepared for test.

6.0 PROCEDURES

1. Measure the initial length and diameter of the soil specimen.

2. Place the specimen on the base plate of the load frame (sandwiched between the
end plates)
3. Place a hardened steel ball on the bearing plate. Adjust the centerline of specimen
such that the
proving ring and the steel ball are in the same line.
4. Fix dial gauge to measure vertical compression of the specimen.
5. Adjust gear position on the load frame to give suitable vertical displacement.
6. Set the reading of proving ring and dial gauge to zero.
7. Start applying the load and record the readings of the proving ring dial and strain dial
for every 0.2 mm
8. Continue loading till failure occurs or 20% vertical deformation is reached (15
mm compression of a 38
mm diameter specimen).
9. Sketch the failure pattern; measure the angle between the cracks and the horizontal
if possible.
 FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 3/
5
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
3/1/2012
TEST TITLE : UNCONFINED COMPRESSION DATE:
TESTS AMENDMENT
3/1/2012
DATE:

7.0 EXPERIMENTAL DATA

unit Specimen 1 Specimen 2 Specimen 3

Initial length of specimen, mm 76 76 76
Lo
Diameter of specimen, D mm 38 38 38
Initial cross section area, Ao mm2 1134.1176 1134.1176 1134.1176
Weight of the specimen, W g 181.98 181.98 181.98
Initial volume of specimen, m3 86.192 86.192 86.192
Vo
Bulk density, b kN/ 2.1113 2.1113 2.1113
m3
Initial water content, w % 18 18 18

8.0 OBSERVATION

TABLE Specimen 1
Strain Proving Sample Axial Corrected Axial Compressiv
dial ring deformati strain, area, load, e stress
reading reading on = L/Lo x Ac = (Ao/1- ) kN (kN/m2)
(div.) (div.) , L (mm) 100 (%) (m2)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 32 0.0 0.05 1.14 4.1 3.60
4
40 41 0.8 1.05 1.15 8.2 7.13
60 49 1.2 1.58 1.15 12.23 10.63
80 54 1.6 2.11 1.16 16.31 14.06
100 60 2.0 2.63 1.16 20.39 17.58
120 65 2.4 3.16 1.17 24.46 20.91
140 69 2.8 3.68 1.18 28.54 24.19
160 74 3.2 4.21 1.18 32.62 27.64
180 79 3.6 4.74 1.19 36.70 30.84
200 83 4.0 5.26 1.20 40.77 33.98
250 100 4.4 5.79 1.20 50.97 42.48
300 116 4.8 6.32 1.21 61.16 50.55
350 122 5.2 6.84 1.22 71.35 58.48
400 129 5.6 7.37 1.22 81.55 66.84
450 132 6.0 7.89 1.23 91.74 74.59
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
950
1000
1100
1200
1300

FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 4/

5
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
3/1/2012
TEST TITLE : UNCONFINED COMPRESSION DATE:
TESTS AMENDMENT
3/1/2012
DATE:
Specimen 2

Strain Proving Sample Axial Corrected Axial Compressiv

dial ring deformati strain, area, load, e stress
reading reading on = L/Lo x Ac = (Ao/1- ) kN (kN/m2)
(div.) (div.) , L (mm) 100 (%) (m2)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 32 0.0 0.05 1.14 4.1 3.60
4
40 41 0.8 1.05 1.15 8.2 7.13
60 49 1.2 1.58 1.15 12.23 10.63
80 54 1.6 2.11 1.16 16.31 14.06
100 60 2.0 2.63 1.16 20.39 17.58
120 65 2.4 3.16 1.17 24.46 20.91
140 69 2.8 3.68 1.18 28.54 24.19
160 74 3.2 4.21 1.18 32.62 27.64
180 79 3.6 4.74 1.19 36.70 30.84
200 83 4.0 5.26 1.20 40.77 33.98
250 100 4.4 5.79 1.20 50.97 42.48
300 116 4.8 6.32 1.21 61.16 50.55
350 122 5.2 6.84 1.22 71.35 58.48
400 129 5.6 7.37 1.22 81.55 66.84
450 132 6.0 7.89 1.23 91.74 74.59
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
950
1000
1100
1200
1300

FACULTY: CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENG. PAGE NO.: 5/

5
DEPARTMENT: INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDITION:
GEOMATIC ENGINEERING REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE
3/1/2012
TEST TITLE : UNCONFINED COMPRESSION DATE:
TESTS AMENDMENT
3/1/2012
DATE:
Specimen 3

Strain Proving Sample Axial Corrected Axial Compressiv

dial ring deformati strain, area, load, e stress
reading reading on = L/Lo x Ac = (Ao/1- ) kN (kN/m2)
(div.) (div.) , L (mm) 100 (%) (m2)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 32 0.0 0.05 1.14 4.1 3.60
4
40 41 0.8 1.05 1.15 8.2 7.13
60 49 1.2 1.58 1.15 12.23 10.63
80 54 1.6 2.11 1.16 16.31 14.06
100 60 2.0 2.63 1.16 20.39 17.58
120 65 2.4 3.16 1.17 24.46 20.91
140 69 2.8 3.68 1.18 28.54 24.19
160 74 3.2 4.21 1.18 32.62 27.64
180 79 3.6 4.74 1.19 36.70 30.84
200 83 4.0 5.26 1.20 40.77 33.98
250 100 4.4 5.79 1.20 50.97 42.48
300 116 4.8 6.32 1.21 61.16 50.55
350 122 5.2 6.84 1.22 71.35 58.48
400 129 5.6 7.37 1.22 81.55 66.84
450 132 6.0 7.89 1.23 91.74 74.59
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
950
1000
1100
1200
1300

Strain dial reading (∆L) (cm)

Time x 0.002mm = 20 x 0.002 = 0.04 mm ~ 0.9 cm

Axial strain, ε

∆L/Lo = 0.04/76
= 0.0005526
 Axial starin in percent = 0.05%

Corrected area Ac = (Ao/1- ε)

= (1.134/1 – 0.0005)
= 1.14

Proving ring readings = 20 div

Axial load P (kg)

(Div x 0.002) / 9.81 = (20 x 0.002) / 0.00981
= 4.1

Compressive stress, σ σ = P/Ac

= 4.1 / 1.14
= 3.6

9.0 COMPUTATION AND RESULTS

a) Plot the graph of Axial stress versus Axial Strain

 b) Plot the graph of shear stress versus normal stress

10.0 CONCLUSION

a)
Unconfined compressive strength of the soil, qu = 74.58 kN/m2 q
b)
Shear strength of the
u
c = 37.29 kN/m2
soil, u
2