Aim: To determine the Consolidated Drained Shear Strength of a soil sample.

Apparatus: Direct shear device, load & deformation dial gauges, callipers, small level

Figure 1 Diagram of Shear box

Theory
A direct shear test is a test that can be conducted in a laboratory or field and is used by
geotechnical engineers to measure the shear strength properties of soil. It is also used to measure
the shear strength properties of the discontinuities in soil and rock masses.
Shear strength of a soil is the maximum resistance to shearing stress at failure on the failure
plane. The direct shear test inflicts on a soil the idealized conditions shown in the diagram above
(figure 1). Due to the idealized conditions, the failure plane is forced to occur at a specific
location. Where on this plane there are two stresses acting, a normal stress due to an applied
vertical load Pv and a shearing stress due to the applied horizontal load Ph. These stresses are
determined as follows:

Normal Stress , N =

Pv
A

Shearing Stress, =

Ph
A

Where A is the nominal area of the soil sample.

These stresses satisfy Coulombs equation,
=c+ N tan
Where c is the Cohesion,
is the Angle of Internal Friction Resistance
In comparison to the advanced state of the art, the direct shear test has some disadvantages:
1) The area of the sample changes as the test progresses but may not be very significant, as
most samples fail at low deformations.
2) The actual failure surface was not plane, as is assumed or as was intended from the way
the shear box was constructed nor is the shearing stress uniformly distributed over the
failure surface, as is also assumed.
3) The test uses a small sample, with the result that preparation errors became
relatively important.

With further advance in the state of the art, however the Direct shear has some advantages:
1) The triaxial test is relatively much more difficult to perform and interpret especially if pore
pressures are taken.
2) The size of the soil sample makes the test time-effective when it comes to performing
unconsolidated-undrained and consolidated-drained tests, since the time for drainage is fairly
short.
3) The direct shear machine is much more adaptable to electronic readout equipment so that an
operator is not required to be on continuous duty for consolidated- drained tests which may
be of several days duration.
4) The soil parameters and c obtained from the direct-shear test method are about as reliable
as the tri-axial values.

Experimental Procedure
1) The initial mass of the soil sample in the moisture can was weighed using the analytical
scale.
2) The shear box was then assembled and fixed into position and the cross sectional area, A
was obtained.
3) The soil sample was then placed into the shear box using the loading block. Any area in
the shear box that the soil did not enter, pieces from the original soil sample were used to
fill them by hand.
4) The small level was then used to level the soil in the shear box.
5) The weight of the soil sample in the shear box was then weighed.
6) The shear box was then placed into the direct shear device and the alignment screws were
removed from the shear box.
7) The two (2) dial gauges were then set to zero (0).
8) The desired normal load, Pv was applied and the direct shear machine was then turned
on.
9) At intervals of horizontal deflection, the readings of the shear load Ph were taken.
10) Readings of the shear load were taken until it reached its maximum value and the sample
began to fail.
11) Steps 1-10 were repeated for two more of the same soil samples and the readings were
then tabulated.

Results and Calculations

Data Calculations
Sample diameter= 70mm= 0.07m
Sample height= 113mm= 0.113m
Sample weight= 715.49g= 0.715kg
Main Sample depth= 2m
Area of Sample= (d2 4)= (0.07)2/ 4= 0.004m2
Volume of sample= Area of sample sample height
= 0.004 0.113= 0.000452m3
Unit weight= Sample Mass/ Volume of sample
= 715.49 9.81/ (0.000432 1000000)= 16.14 KN/m3

Area of Shear box= 60 60= 3600mm2

= 0.0036m2
Weight of hanger plunger and ball= 4.36kg

Sample calculations
Normal Force, kg= (Pressure 9.81) 1000 0.0036
= (16.14/ 9.81) 1000 0.0036
= 5.92kg
Actual normal force, kg= 5.92- 4.36
= 1.56kg
Shear load, KN= Shear reading LRC factor
= 8 0.003288587= 0.026KN
Shear stress, (kN/m2) = Shear load/ Area of sample
= 0.026/ 0.004 = 6.5KNm2
The Mohr-Coulomb failure envelope measures Shear Stress vs. Normal Stress. To determine the
internal angle of friction and cohesion for maximum shear stress, we use Coulombs equation:
= nTan + C
Where,
= internal angle of friction and
C = cohesion
The gradient slope of the graph drawn = y=0.1783x + 93.725
This can be reproduced in the form of Coulombs equation
y= and Tan = 0.1783
Therefore = Tan-1 (0.1783)= 10.11
And C= 93.725

Container #
Tare wt (g)
Wt of sample(g)
Wt of sample wet
sample +tin (g)
Wt of dry sample +
tin (g)
Wet Wt of sample, g
Dry Wt of sample, g
Moisture Content %

Test 1
B
23.54
274.61
156.3

Test2
3
23.66
273.83
154.54

Test3
6
23.59
276.44
157.02

124.46

122.47

124.21

132.76
100.92
23.98

130.88
98.81
24.50

133.43
100.62
24.59

Figure 2 showing the various weights and moisture content for each sample
Samples

Normal pressure
Normal Force, kg
K(Pa)
Sample #1
16.14
5.92
Sample#2
32.28
11.85
Sample#3
48.82
17.77
Figure 3 showing the various pressure and forces for each sample

Actual Normal force,

kg
1.56
7.49
13.41

Table 1 showing results for Test no1

Horizontal Dial Reading

Horizontal (Shear)
Displacement, H
( 0.01 mm)

Shear
Reading

Shear Load,
Ph (kN)

Shear Stress
(kN/m2)

10

0.1

0.026

6.577

20

0.2

19

0.062

15.621

30

0.3

30

0.099

24.664

40

0.4

44

0.145

36.174

50

0.5

58

0.191

47.685

60

0.6

67

0.220

55.084

70

0.7

74

0.243

60.839

80

0.8

80

0.263

65.772

90

0.9

86

0.283

70.705

100

92

0.303

75.638

120

1.2

99

0.326

81.393

140

1.4

106

0.349

87.148

160

1.6

113

0.372

92.903

180

1.8

116

0.381

95.369

200

118

0.388

97.013

220

2.2

119

0.391

97.836

240

2.4

117

0.385

96.191

Maximum Shear stress= 97.836 kN/m2

Table 2 Showing the Results for Test 2

Horizontal Dial Reading

0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
280
300
320
340
360
380
400
420
Maximum stress= 97.013kN/m2

Horizontal (Shear)
Displacement, H
( 0.01 mm)
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
3
3.2
3.4
3.6
3.8
4
4.2

Shear
Reading
0
12
16
23
32
40
48
54
61
67
72
81
89
95
102
106
110
113
115
117
117
118
118
118
118
118
118

Shear
Load, Ph
(kN)
0.000
0.039
0.053
0.076
0.105
0.132
0.158
0.178
0.201
0.220
0.237
0.266
0.293
0.312
0.335
0.349
0.362
0.372
0.378
0.385
0.385
0.388
0.388
0.388
0.388
0.388
0.388

Shear Stress
(kN/m2)
0.000
9.866
13.154
18.909
26.309
32.886
39.463
44.396
50.151
55.084
59.195
66.594
73.171
78.104
83.859
87.148
90.436
92.903
94.547
96.191
96.191
97.013
97.013
97.013
97.013
97.013
97.013

Table 3 Showing results from Test 3

Horizontal Dial Reading

Horizontal (Shear)
Displacement, H
( 0.01 mm)
0
0
10
0.1
20
0.2
30
0.3
40
0.4
50
0.5
60
0.6
70
0.7
80
0.8
90
0.9
100
1
120
1.2
140
1.4
160
1.6
180
1.8
200
2
220
2.2
240
2.4
260
2.6
280
2.8
300
3
2
Maximum shear stress= 103.591kN/m

Shear
Reading
0
17
32
38
50
58
68
78
87
93
99
108
115
121
124
126
126
126
126
126
124

Shear
Load, Ph
(kN)
0.000
0.056
0.105
0.125
0.164
0.191
0.224
0.257
0.286
0.306
0.326
0.355
0.378
0.398
0.408
0.414
0.414
0.414
0.414
0.414
0.408

Shear Stress
(kN/m2)
0.000
13.977
26.309
31.242
41.107
47.685
55.906
64.127
71.527
76.460
81.393
88.792
94.547
99.480
101.946
103.591
103.591
103.591
103.591
103.591
101.946

Graph showing Shear stress against Horizontal deflection

Graph of Shear stress vs Horizontal deflection

120.000

100.000

80.000

Shear stress (kN/m^2)

Test 1
Test 2
Test 3

60.000

40.000

20.000

0.000

0.5

1.5

2.5

Horizontal deflection

3.5

4.5

Mohr coulomb failure criteria

106
103.59

104
102
100
Maximum stress

98

f(x) = 0.18x + 93.73

97.84

97.01

96
94
92
10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

Normal stress

Discussion
The type of Direct Shear Test performed was the Consolidated-Drained Test In which the normal
force is applied, and the shear force is postponed until all settlement stops. The shear force is
then applied slowly enough so that no pore pressures develop within the sample.
In this experiment, three direct shear test was conducted on a silty clay soil sample. Each test
was done under different loading conditions of normal stress being 16.14kPa, 32.28kPa and
48.42kPa respectively. Using the Shear readings, the Shear load and Shear Stress was calculated
for their respective Horizontal deflection.
A graph of shear stress against horizontal deflection was then plotted for each test. It can be seen
on the graphs that as the shear stress increases the horizontal deflection increases. That is the
case for the sample until the maximum shear stress is reached in which the shear stress is then
decreased. The maximum stress for Test 1, Test 2 and Test 3 are 97.836 kN/m2, 97.013kN/m2 and
103.59kN/m2 respectively. The shear strength in soils depends primarily on the interaction of
particles. When these particles are able to slide or roll past each other easily, then shear failure
sets in.
A graph of Maximum shear stress against normal stress was then plotted. It can be seen that the
normal stress increases with each sample. It increases from sample 1, 2 and 3 in that order. The
Maximum stress against normal stress graph expresses a linear relationship between both
stresses. This implies that as one increase then so does the other. From this graph we were able to
determine the angle of internal friction and the cohesion which were 10.11and 93.725kPa
respectively.

Errors

Systematic errors due to the electronic balance.

Parallax errors in reading the gauges.
The recording of the shear load and horizontal deflection was done by two separate
persons therefore their reaction times to reading the gauges would differ

Conclusion
Within experimental errors, it can be concluded that the internal angle of friction, was 10.11
and the cohesion, C= 93.725kPa. The maximum shear stress of samples 1, 2 and 3 are
97.386kPa, 97.013kPa and 103.591kPa respectively.

References

M. Budhu. Soil Mechanics and Foundation, 3rd edition.

Krishna Reddy Direct shear test.