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DIRECTSHEARTEST
Objective
Todeterminetheshearingstrengthofthesoilusingthedirectshearapparatus.
NEEDANDSCOPE
Inmanyengineeringproblemssuchasdesignoffoundation,retainingwalls,slabbridges,pipes,sheetpiling,
thevalueoftheangleofinternalfrictionandcohesionofthesoilinvolvedarerequiredforthedesign.Direct
sheartestisusedtopredicttheseparametersquickly.Thelaboratoryreportcoverthelaboratoryprocedures
fordeterminingthesevaluesforcohesionlesssoils.
PLANNINGANDORGANIZATION
Apparatus
1.Directshearboxapparatus
2.Loadingframe(motorattached).
3.Dialgauge.
4.Provingring.
5.Tamper.
6.Straightedge.
7.Balancetoweighupto200mg.
8.Aluminumcontainer.
9.Spatula.
KNOWLEDGEOFEQUIPMENT:
Straincontrolleddirectshearmachineconsistsofshearbox,soilcontainer,loadingunit,provingring,dial
gaugetomeasuresheardeformationandvolumechanges.Atwopiecesquareshearboxisonetypeofsoil
containerused.
Aprovingringisusedtoindicatetheshearloadtakenbythesoilinitiatedintheshearingplane.
PROCEDURE
1.Checktheinnerdimensionofthesoilcontainer.
2.Putthepartsofthesoilcontainertogether.
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3.Calculatethevolumeofthecontainer.Weighthecontainer.
4.Placethesoilinsmoothlayers(approximately10mmthick).Ifadensesampleisdesiredtampthesoil.
5.Weighthesoilcontainer,thedifferenceofthesetwoistheweightofthesoil.Calculatethedensityofthe
soil.
6.Makethesurfaceofthesoilplane.
7.Puttheuppergratingonstoneandloadingblockontopofsoil.
8.Measurethethicknessofsoilspecimen.
9.Applythedesirednormalload.
10.Removetheshearpin.
11.Attachthedialgaugewhichmeasuresthechangeofvolume.
12.Recordtheinitialreadingofthedialgaugeandcalibrationvalues.
13. Before proceeding to test check all adjustments to see that there is no connection between two parts
exceptsand/soil.
14.Startthemotor.Takethereadingoftheshearforceandrecordthereading.
15.Takevolumechangereadingstillfailure.
16.Add5kgnormalstress0.5kg/cm2andcontinuetheexperimenttillfailure
17.Recordcarefullyallthereadings.Setthedialgaugeszero,beforestartingtheexperiment
DATACALCULATIONSHEETFORDIRECTSHEARTEST
Normalstress0.5kg/cm2L.C=.......P.R.C=.........
Hori.Dial Shearstress=
gauge Shear Vertical Vertical
Vertical Proving div.col.(8)x
Horizontal Proving Reading deformation gauge deformation=
Dial reading provingring
Gauge ring Initial Col.(4)x reading div.incol.6
gauge Initial constantAreaof
Reading Reading reading Leastcount Initial xL.Cofdial
Reading reading the
(1) (3) div. ofdial Reading gauge
(2)
gauge (5) (6) (7)
(8) specimen(kg/cm2)
(4) (9)
0
25
50
75
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100
125
150
175
200
250
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Normalstress1.0kg/cm2L.C=.......P.R.C=........
Hori.Dial Shearstress=
gauge Shear Vertical Vertical
Vertical Proving div.col.(8)x
Horizontal Proving Reading deformation gauge deformation=
Dial reading provingring
Gauge ring Initial Col.(4)x reading div.incol.6
gauge Initial constantAreaof
Reading Reading reading Leastcount Initial xL.Cofdial
Reading reading the
(1) (3) div. ofdial Reading gauge
(2)
gauge (5) (6) (7)
(8) specimen(kg/cm2)
(4) (9)
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
250
300
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400
500
600
700
800
900
Normalstress1.5kg/cm2L.C=.......P.R.C=........
Hori.Dial Shearstress=
gauge Shear Vertical Vertical
Vertical Proving div.col.(8)x
Horizontal Proving Reading deformation gauge deformation=
Dial reading provingring
Gauge ring Initial Col.(4)x reading div.incol.6
gauge Initial constantAreaof
Reading Reading reading Leastcount Initial xL.Cofdial
Reading reading the
(1) (3) div. ofdial Reading gauge
(2)
gauge (5) (6) (7)
(8) specimen(kg/cm2)
(4) (9)
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
250
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
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OBSERVATIONANDRECORDING
ProvingRingconstant.......Leastcountofthedial........
Calibrationfactor.......
Leveragefactor........
Dimensionsofshearbox60x60mm
Emptyweightofshearbox........
Leastcountofdialgauge.........
Volumechange.......
Shearstress
Normal
Normal provingRing
stress(kg/cm2) readingx
Normalload stress(kg/cm2)
S.No calibration/
(kg) loadx
loadx Areaof
leverage/Area
leverage/Area container
1
GENERALREMARKS
1.Intheshearboxtest,thespecimenisnotfailingalongitsweakestplanebutalongapredeterminedor
inducedfailureplanei.e.horizontalplaneseparatingthetwohalvesoftheshearbox.Thisisthemain
draw back of this test. Moreover, during loading, the state of stress cannot be evaluated. It can be
evaluatedonlyatfailureconditioni.eMohrscirclecanbedrawnatthefailureconditiononly.Also
failureisprogressive.
2. Directsheartestissimpleandfastertooperate.Asthinnerspecimensareusedinshearbox,they
facilitatedrainageofporewaterfromasaturatedsampleinlesstime.Thistestisalsousefultostudy
frictionbetweentwomaterialsonematerialinlowerhalfofboxandanothermaterialintheupper
halfofbox.
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3. The angle of shearing resistance of sands depends on state of compaction, coarseness of grains,
particle shape and roughness of grain surface and grading. It varies between 28o(uniformly graded
sands with round grains in very loose state) to 46o(well graded sand with angular grains in dense
state).
4.Thevolumechangeinsandysoilisacomplexphenomenondependingongradation,particleshape,
state and type of packing, orientation of principal planes, principal stress ratio, stress history,
magnitudeofminorprincipalstress,typeofapparatus,testprocedure,methodofpreparingspecimen
etc.Ingeneralloosesandsexpandanddensesandscontractinvolumeonshearing.Thereisavoid
ratio at which either expansion contraction in volume takes place. This void ratio is called critical
voidratio.Expansionorcontractioncanbeinferredfromthemovementofverticaldialgaugeduring
shearing.
5.Thefrictionbetweensandparticleisduetoslidingandrollingfrictionandinterlockingaction.
Theultimatevaluesofshearparameterforbothloosesandanddensesandapproximatelyattainthesame
valueso,ifangleoffrictionvalueiscalculatedatultimatestage,slightdisturbanceindensityduring
samplingandpreparationoftestspecimenswillnothavemucheffect.
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