STUDENT CODE OF ETHIC

(SCE)
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
CENTER OF DIPLOMA STUDY

I, hereby confess that I have prepared this report on my own effort. I also admit not
to receive or give any help during the preparation of this report and pledge
that everything mentioned in the report is true.

_________________
Student Signature

Name

Matric No. :
Date

CENTER OF DIPLOMA STUDY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL
ENGINEERING
C
E

TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE DATE:
AMENDMENT DATE:

1/7
1/9/14
1/9/14

1.0 OBJECTIVE
TO DETERMINE THE PARAMETER OF SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL, COHESION, c AND
ANGLE OF FRICTION, .
2.0 LEARNING OUTCOME
At the end of this experiment, students are able to:
Determine the shear strength parameter of the soil
Handle shear strength test, direct shear test
3.0 THEORY
The general relationship between maximum shearing resistance, f and normal stress, n for soils can
be represented by the equation and known as Coulombs Law:

f c tan
where:

c = cohesion, which is due to internal forces holding soil particles together in a solid mass
= friction, which is due to the interlocking of the particles and the friction between them
when subjected to normal stress

The friction components increase with increasing normal stress but the cohesion components remains
constant. If there is no normal stress the friction disappears. This relationship shown in the graph below.
This graph generally approximates to a straight line, its inclination to the horizontal axis being equal to
the angle of shearing resistance of the soil, and its intercept on the vertical (shear stress) axis being
the apparent cohesion, denoted by c.

4.0 TEST EQUIPMENTS

1. Shear box carriage

2.
3.
4.
5.

Loading pad
Perforated plate
Porous plate
Retaining plate

CENTER OF DIPLOMA STUDY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL
ENGINEERING
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE DATE:
AMENDMENT DATE:

3/10
1/9/14
1/9/14

5.0 PROCEDURES
1. Verify internal measurement using vernier calipers. The length of the sides, L and the overall
depth, B.
2. Fix base plate inside the shear box. Then put porous plate on the base plate. Fit perforated grid
plate over porous so that the grid plates should be at right angles to the direction shear.

CENTER OF DIPLOMA STUDY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE DATE:
AMENDMENT DATE:

6/10
1/9/14
1/9/14

3. Fix two halves of the shear box by means of fixing screws

4. For cohesive soils, transfer the soil sample from square specimen cutter to the shearbox by
pressing down on the top grid plate. For sandy soil, compact soil in layers to the required
density in shear box
5. Mount the shear box assembly on the loading frame
6. Set the dial of the proving ring to zero
7. Place the loading yoke on the loading pad and carefully lift the hanger onto the top of the
loading yoke.
8. Apply the correct loading to the hanger pad.
9. Carefully remove the screws clamping the upper half to the lower half
10. Conduct the test by applying horizontal shear load to failure. Rate strain should be 0.2mm/min
11. record readings of horizontal and force dial gauges at regular intervals.
12. Conduct test on three identical soil samples under different vertical compressive strsses,
1.75kg, 2.5kg and 3.25kg

CENTER OF DIPLOMA STUDY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL
ENGINEERING
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST
6.0 CALCULATION EXAMPLE
Specimen No.: 1
Loading : 1.75kg
Proving Ring

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE DATE:
AMENDMENT DATE:

4/10
1/9/14
1/9/14

5.0 RESULT AND CALCULATIONS

Specimen No.:
Loading :
Displacement
Dail Gauge

Proving Ring

L (mm)

Dail Gauge

Load, P (kN)

CENTER OF DIPLOMA STUDY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL
ENGINEERING
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST

Shear Stress

Strain

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE DATE:
AMENDMENT DATE:

7/10
1/9/14
1/9/14

Specimen No.:
Loading :
Displacement
Dail Gauge

Proving Ring

L (mm)

Dail Gauge

Shear Stress

Strain

Load, P (kN)

CENTER OF DIPLOMA STUDY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL
ENGINEERING
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE DATE:
AMENDMENT DATE:

8/10
1/9/14
1/9/14

Specimen No.:
Loading :
Displacement
Dail Gauge

Proving Ring

L (mm)

Dail Gauge

Shear Stress

Strain

Load, P (kN)

Plot graph Shear Stress (kN/m2) versus Strain

Plot graph Shear Stress versus Normal Stress
Find c and value

CENTER OF DIPLOMA STUDY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE DATE:
AMENDMENT DATE:

9/10
1/9/14
1/9/14

6.0 DISCUSSION

7.0 CONCLUSION

CENTER OF DIPLOMA STUDY

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL
ENGINEERING
TEST TITLE : DIRECT SHEAR TEST

PAGE NO.:
EDITION:
REVIEW NO.:
EFFECTIVE DATE:
AMENDMENT DATE:

10/10
1/9/14
1/9/14

8.0 QUESTIONS AND ANSWER

QUESTION 1
a. Why perforated plate in this test with teeth?
b. What maximum value of displacement before stop the test?
QUESTION 2
a. What is the purpose of a direct shear test? Which soil properties does it measure?
b. Why do we use fixing screw in this test? What will happen if you do not removed them
during test?

ANSWERS