Vane shear test
The vane shear test is more applicable to field conditions than to laboratory. However,
the laboratory vane shear test has a useful application where satisfactory undisturbed tube
samples of very soft clays and silts have been obtained, but it becomes impossible to prepare
Specimens from the tubes, because of their softness for the triaxial or unconfined
compression test.
A laboratory vane consists of four blades mounted on a rod as shown in Fig, 2.20, The
tod is pushed into a chunk of soil contained in a large mould. The rotating motion is imparted
to the vane by means of a disc (not shown) at the top of the rod with the arrangement of
measuring the torque. The value of shear strength of soil, S is obtained using the following
| formula:
wv» (2.67)
where applied torque,
D = width of blade (Fig, 2.20), and
H = height of blade (Fig, 2.20).
In situ vane shear test is often used for determining the sensitivity of clay. Initially, the
Torque
rod
Metal
blades
WW
EIR
Fig. 2.20. Vane Shear.
soil is undisturbed and the shear Strength corresponds to the undisturbed state. When the
vane has remoulded the soil, the resistance offered by it corresponds to the remoulded state,