SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL The size of a sand specimen in a direct shear test was 50

mm x 50 mm x 30 mm (height). It is known that, for the

sand, tan 𝜙 = 0.65/𝑒 (where 𝑒 = void ratio) and the specific
gravity of soil solids 𝐺𝑠 = 2.65. During the test, a normal stress
The shear strength of a soil is the internal shear resistance of 140 kN/m2 was applied. Failure occurred at a shear
per unit area that the soil mass can offer to resist failure stress of 105 kN/m2 . What was the mass of the sand
and sliding along any plane inside it specimen?

MOHR-COULOMB CRITERIA OF FAILURE The following are the results of direct shear tests performed
on two identical samples of the soil. In test one, the sample
𝝉𝒇 =𝒄 + 𝝈𝒕𝒂𝒏𝝓
shears at a stress of 71kPa when the compressive normal
Where stress is 95kPa. In test two, the sample shears at a stress of
104kPa when the normal stress is 150kPa.
𝑐 = cohesion (c=0, for sandy soils and normally
consolidated clay) a. Determine the value of the apparent cohesion
b. Determine the angle of internal friction for the
𝜙 = angle of internal friction damp sand.
c. Determine the shear stress at a depth of 4m if the
unit wt. of soil is 15.6 kN/m3 .

𝝉𝒇 =𝒄′ + 𝝈′𝒕𝒂𝒏𝝓'

Where A direct shear test was conducted on an over-

consolidated clay specimen having a cross-sectional size
𝑐' = effective cohesion (c=0, normally consolidated
of 60 mm x 60 mm. The loading was very slow, ensuring that
clay)
there is no pore water pressure development within the
𝜙′ = effective or drained angle of internal friction specimen. The following data were recorded.

Normal Shear load 𝝈 𝝉

load (N) (𝐤𝐍/𝐦𝟐 ) (𝐤𝐍/𝐦𝟐 )
(N)
178 102 49.4 28.3
MOHR-COULOMB CRITERIA OF FAILURE
362 174 100.6 48.3
𝝓′ 𝝓′ 537 256 149.2 71.1
𝝈′𝟏 = 𝝈′𝟑 𝐭𝐚𝐧𝟐 (𝟒𝟓 + ) + 𝟐𝒄′ 𝐭𝐚𝐧 (𝟒𝟓 + ) 719 332 199.7 92.2
𝟐 𝟐

𝝓′
𝜽 = 𝟒𝟓 + Determine the shear strength parameters 𝑐 and 𝜙 .
𝟐
LABORATORY DETERMINATION OF SHEAR STRENGTH
PARAMETERS

Direct Shear Test A consolidated-drained triaxial test was conducted on a

normally consolidated clay. The results were as follows:
Tri-axial Test
𝜎′3 = 276 kN/m2
⚫ Consolidated Drained Test
(∆𝜎′𝑑 )𝑓 = 276 kN/m2
⚫ Cosolidated Undrained Test
a. Find the angle of friction, 𝜙 ′ .
⚫ Unconsolidated Undrained Test b. What is the angle that the failure plane
makes with the major principal stress?
c. Determine the normal stress 𝜎𝑓 ′ and the
shear stress 𝜏𝑓 ′ on the failure plane.

A cohesive soil specimen has a shearing resistance equal

to 28° and a cohesion of 32. If the maximum shearing stress
of the soil sample is equal to 64kPa.

a. Compute the lateral pressure in the cell of for a

failure.
b. Compute the maximum principal stress to cause
failure.
c. Compute the normal stress at the point of
maximum shear.
The results of two drained triaxial tests on a saturated clay The following data were obtained in a direct shear test.
are given here: Normal pressure is 20kPa and the tangential pressure is
16kPa and cohesion of soil is 8kPa.
Specimen I: Chamber confining pressure = 103.5 kN/m2 Compute the minor principal stress
Deviator stress at failure = 216.7 kN/m2 Compute the major principal stress
Compute the direction of the principal
Specimen II: Chamber confining pressure = 172.5 kN/m2 plane of shear

Deviator stress at failure = 324.3 kN/m2

Calculate the shear strength parameters of the soil. A given soil has a unit cohesion of 2 ton/m2 and an angle
Compute the shearing stress at a depth of 6 m. below the of internal friction of 28º. Samples of the soil were tested in
ground if a ground water table is located 2 m. below the the laboratory in a triaxial apparatus under the undrained
ground surface if the soil has a dry unit weight of 16kN/m3 condition. Determine:
and a saturated unit weight of 20kN/m3 .
(i) Deviator stress at failure when the cell pressure is 1.5
kglcm2.
A consolidated drained triaxial test was carried out on a
normally consolidated clay specimen with confining (ii) The applied cell pressure, if the sample fails under a
pressure of 75.0 kN/m2 . The deviator stress at failure was deviator stress of 5.09kg/cm2.
96.0 kN/m2 . An identical specimen of the same clay was
subjected to a consolidated undrained triaxial test, where (Ans: (I) 3.32 kg/cm2 (ii) 2.5 kg/cm2)
the confining pressure is 150 kN/m2 . The deviator stress at
failure was 115.0 kN/m2 . What would be the pore water
pressure at failure? Determine the minimum lateral pressure required to
prevent failure of a soil subjected to a total vertical stress of
10 kg/cm2. The shear parameters of the soil are given as:
The specimens obtained from a clay layer at a site gave c = 0.3 kg/cm2, 𝜙 = 17.5º .
the following shear strength parameters from a
consolidated drained triaxial test: 𝑐 ′ = 10 kN/m2 , and 𝜙 ′ = (Ans: 4.94 kg/cm2)
26°. A consolidated undrained triaxial test is carried out on
this soil, where a specimen is consolidated under a
confining pressure of 100 kN/m2 and loaded under A triaxial shear test was performed on a well-drained sand
undrained conditions. The specimen failed under a sample. The normal stress on the plane failure and the
deviator stress of 107.0 kN/m2 . What is the pore water shearing stress on the plane failure were determined to be
pressure within the specimen? 50 KPa and 30 KPa respectively.

a. Determine the angle of internal friction in the sand in

The effective stress failure envelope of a sand can be degrees
given as 𝜏𝑓 = 𝜎 ′ tan 38° . A drained triaxial test was b. Determine the angle in degrees of the failure plane with
conducted on the same sand. The specimen failed when respect to the horizontal.
the deviatior stress was 250 kN/m2 . What was the chamber
confining pressure during the test? c. Determine the axial stress applied on the specimen.

a. Estimate the angle that the failure plane (Ans: 30.95 deg, 60.48 deg, 102.98KPa)
makes with the minor principal plane.
b. Determine the normal stress and the shear
stress on a plane that makes an angle of 26° During unconsolidated undrained tri-axial test on a clayey
with the minor principal plane. soil specimen, the minor and major principal stresses at
failure were 100KPa and 180 KPa respectively

a. Find the angle of friction for the unconsolidated

The shear strength of a normally consolidated clay can be
undrained triaxial test.
given by the equation 𝜏𝑓 = 𝜎 ′ tan 31° . A consolidated-
undrained, triaxial test was conducted on the clay. b. Find the cohesion for the similar specimen if subjected to
Following are the results of the test: unconfined compression test.
• Chamber confining pressure = 112 kN/m2 c. What will be the axial stress at failure of the same
• Deviator stress at failure = 100 kN/m2 specimen if subjected to unconfined compression test.
a. Determine the consolidated-undrained friction
angle, 𝜙. (Ans: 0 deg, 40 KPa, 80 KPa)
b. What is the pore water pressure developed in
the clay specimen at failure?