Table of Contents

Contents

Pages

1.1

Introduction

1.2

Objectives

3.1

Apparatus

3.2

Procedures

2-3

3.3

Data Acquisition

3-6

4.1

Analysis

4.2

Discussion

4.3

Conclusion

1.1 Introduction
Level 2 laboratory activities refer to the condition where only the problem is guided
and given. Students are required to find the ways & means and provide the answers to the
given assignment using the group creativity and innovativeness. The activity will enable the
students to appreciate independent learning and prepare them for a much harder task of
open ended laboratory activities.
In this laboratory activity, the students need to know shear strength of a soil. It is
maximum resistance to shearing stresses. It is usually considered to be equal to the shear
stress at failure on the failure plane. The shear strength of soil mainly consists of the
resistance due to interlocking of particle and friction between individual particles at their
contact point i.e. internal friction and the resistance due to inter particle forces which tend to
hold the particles together in a soil mass, what so called cohesion.

1.2 Objectives
To determine the shear strength characteristics of soil using direct shear box apparatus.

3.1 Apparatus
Direct shear box apparatus, loading frame (motor attached), dial gauge, proving ring,
tamper, straight edge, balance to weigh, aluminium container, spatula.

3.2

Procedures

1. Assemble the shear box.

2. The soil sample was compacted in mould after bringing it to optimum moisture condition.
3. The sample has been transferred carefully into shear box.
4. The loading plate was paced on top of the upper porous plate. The weight of the
loading carrier has been recorded and place it on the loading cap.
5. All dial gauges was positioned and the readings has been set to zero. The alignment
screws which
hold two halves of the shear box was removed together.
6. The remaining has been tighten, two diagonally opposite screws, until there is a small gap
between upper and lower boxes to reduce the frictional force.
7. The desired normal load was applied. If there is any vertical displacement, wait till the dial
gauges indicate a constant reading and then reset the dial gauge to zero.

8. The crews was checked and the motor has been started to produce the desired
constant rate of shearing.
9. The readings of horizontal displacement, vertical displacement and shear load from the
proving ring has been taken.
10. The test was stopped when the shear load starts to reduce or remains constant for at
least three
Readings.
11. The soil has been removed and the procedure was repeated with different normal loads
at least for another two samples.
3.3

Data Acquisition
Area of specimen (soil) = 3.6x10-3 mm2
Length of specimen

= 0.03 m

Weight of specimen

= 160 g

Proving ring calibration =

2.0507x10-3

Loading frame (axial load) x 10kg =

=

Horizontal Displacement
(x 0.01mm)

4kg x 10
40 N

Vertical Deformation
(x 0.002mm)

No.
Measured
(mm)

Cumulative
(mm)

Measured
(mm)x10-5

Cumulati
ve
(mm)x10

Proving
Ring Dial
Gauge
(x 0.01mm)

Shear Force,
T

Measured
(mm)

Measured
(mm)x10-4

0.140
0.220
0.280
0.310
0.330
0.380
0.385
0.360
0.350
0.345
0.339
0.330
0.320
0.315
0.315

2.871
4.512
5.742
6.357
6.767
7.793
7.895
7.383
7.177
7.075
6.952
6.767
6.562
6.460
6.460

1.
2
3
4
5
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14
15.

0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5

0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
7.5

-5.2
-2.4
1.2
6.6
1.4
0.2
1
3.6
1.4
1.2
8.2
2.4
1.6
1.2
3.6

-5.2
-7.6
-6.4
0.2
1.6
1.80
2.8
6.4
7.8
9.0
17.2
19.6
21.2
22.4
26.0

16.

0.5

Shear Stress,

8.0

-0.8

25.2

0.315

6.460

Shear Force, kN
x 10-4

Area, mm
x 10-3

Shear Stress, kN/mm

2.871
4.512
5.742
6.357
6.767
7.793
7.895
7.383
7.177
7.075
6.952
6.767
6.562
6.460
6.460
6.460

3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6

0.0798
0.1253
0.1595
0.1766
0.1880
0.2165
0.2193
0.2051
0.1994
0.1965
0.1931
0.1880
0.1823
0.1794
0.1794
0.1794

Normal Stress,

Normal force, kN

Area,mm
x 10-3

0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04

3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6

Normal Stress, kN/mm-2

11.11
11.11
11.11
11.11
11.11

Shear Stress against Horizontal Displacement

0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0

Vertical Displacement against Horizontal Displacement

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
-5

-10

Shear Stress against Normal Stress

0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
11.11

4.1

Analysis
Based on the graph,
Cohesion, C
Friction angle,

4.2

0 kN/mm2

0.41153

Discussion

From the test of direct shear, graphs of shear stress against horizontal displacement,
graph of vertical displacement against horizontal displacement and graph of shear stress
against normal stress are plotted. The shear strength parameters are determined from the
graphs plotted. The angle of friction and the cohesion of soil has been determined. From the
graph of shear stress versus horizontal displacement, the cumulative for shear stress 2.871
x 10-4 kN/mm2 is 0.5 , the cumulative for shear stress 7.075 x 104 kN/mm2 is 5.0 and the
cumulative for shear stress 6.46 x 10-4 kN/mm2 is 8.0 .
With the determined value from graph of shear stress versus horizontal
displacement, graph of shear stress against normal stress is plotted. The cohesion of soil
and the angle of friction of soil are determined. The cohesion of soil is the intercept of y- axis
and the angle of friction is the angle of the linear line produced (lines slope). From the
graph, the cohesion of soil is 0.0 kN/mm2 as the sample of soil used is sand. As we know
that sand is assume cohesion less. Form the graph, the angle of friction is 0.41153.

4.3

Conclusion

As a conclusion, we can know that the objective of the experiment is to determine the
parameter of shear strength of soil, cohesion and angle of friction was achieved. From the
experiment that we have done, the value of cohesion, c is 0.0 kN/mm2 as the soil used for
the experiment is sand and the value of friction of angle is 0.41153.
The direct shear test can be used to measure the effective stress parameters of any
type of soil as long as the pore pressure induced by the normal force and the shear force
can dissipate with time. For the experiment we use the clean sands as a sample, so there is
no problem as the pore pressure dissipates readily. However, in the case of highly plastic
clays, it is merely necessary to have a suitable strain rate so that the pore pressure can
dissipate with time.
Direct shear tests can be performed under several conditions. The sample is
normally saturated before the test is run. The test can be run at the in-situ moisture content.
Before we find the value of cohesion and friction angle, we must plot the graph from the data
that we get from the experiment. The results of the tests on each specimen are plotted on a
graph with the peak (or residual) stress on the x-axis and the confining stress on the y-axis.
The y-intercept of the curve which fits the test results is the cohesion, and the slope of the
line or curve is the friction angle.