Shear Strength of Soil

COSC 323: Soils in Construction

Shear Failure
Shear Failure
Shear Failure
Shear Strength due to Sliding Friction
Normal Force N
Shearing Force S
Failure Plane
Shear Strength due to sliding friction
Sliding
Force
Normal Force
Shear Strength due to sliding friction
Normal Force
Sliding
Force
Shear Strength due to Sliding Friction
Normal Stress vs. Shear Stress
Normal Stress (s) Shear Stress (f)
10 kPa (=kN/m
2
) 6 kPa
20 kPa 12 kPa
30 kPa 18 kPa
Shear Strength due to Sliding Friction
Normal Stress (s)
S
h
e
a
r

S
t
r
e
s
s

(
s
)

Angle of internal friction (f)
| o
| o
o
|
tan
tan
tan
+ =
=
=
c s
s
s
Coulomb Equation
: tan

:

:

: c
:
|
|

s
Effective intergranular normal pressure
(perpendicular to the shear plane)
Shear strength
Cohesion
(Strength gained from the ionic bound between grain particles)
Angle of internal friction
(Strength gained from internal friction resistance)
Coefficient of friction
| o tan + = c s
Shear strength of soil
Soil cannot resist tension
Soil can resist compression.
For excessive compression failure occurs in the form
of shearing along the internal surface within the soil
Structural Strength of soil = f ( soils shear strength)
Shear Strength
Soils ability to resist sliding
Important for
foundation design
Lateral earth pressure calculations
Slope stability analysis
Methods of investigating shear strength
Unconfined compression test (for cohesive soil)
Direct shear test
Triaxial compression test
Vane test (for soft clay)
Standard penetration test (for cohesionless soil)
Penetrometer test
Unconfined compression test
2
u
q
c =
Soil
Specimen
u
q
u
q
cohesion :
strength e compressiv unconfined :
c
q
u
Example
A clayey soil subjected to an unconfined compression
test fails at a pressure of 2540 lb/ft
2
(i.e., q
u
= 2540
lb/ft
2
). What is cohesion of this clayey soil?

Direct Shear Test
Normal Load
Sharing Force
Sharing Force
Normal Load
Sharing Force
Sharing Force
Soil Specimen
Direct Shear Test
Soil Specimen
Normal Load
Sharing Force
Normal Stress
S
h
e
a
r

S
t
r
e
s
s

c
Normal Stress = Normal load / the
specimens cross-sectional area

Shear stress = Shearing Force / the
specimens cross- sectional area

The graph can be used to determine the
given soils shear strength for any load

Problem: Shear failure is forced to occur
along a predetermined plane, which is
not necessarily the weakest plane of the
soil specimen tested.
Test with different Normal Load
|
|: angle of internal friction
c: cohesion
Example
A series of direct shear tests was performed on a soil
sample. Each test was carried out until the soil
specimen experienced shear failure. The test data
are listed next. What is soils cohesion and angle of
internal friction?
Specimen Number Normal Stress (lb/ft
2
) Shearing Stress (lb/ft
2
)
1 604 1522
2 926 1605
3 1248 1720
Triaxial Compression Test
Wrap the specimen
with rubber
membrane
Triaxial Compression Test
Enclose the
specimen in a
chamber filled with
water
Triaxial Compression Test
s
3
Apply a specific
pressure using water
s
3
s
3
s
3
Triaxial Compression Test
s
3
s
3
p
A
Apply a vertical load
and increase until the
specimen fails

Use different lateral
pressure, conduct the
same experiment
s
3
s
3
p
A
Triaxial Compression Test
s
3
p
A
p
A
s
3
: Minor principal
stress

D
p
: Deviator stress at
failure axial = (Load at
failure / cross-sectional
area)
s
3
s
3
s
3
Triaxial Compression Test
s
3
p
A + =
3 1
o o
s
3
: Minor principal
stress

D
p
: Deviator stress at
failure axial = (Load at
failure / cross-sectional
area)

s
1
= s
3
+ D
p
; major
principal stress

How to obtain cohesion
and angle of internal
friction?
s
3
p
A + =
3 1
o o
Triaxial Compression Test
s
3
s
3
s
3

s
3

s
3
s
3
s
1=
s
3
+Dp
s
1=
s
3
+Dp
Before
After
Triaxial Compression Test
(s
1
)
1
(s
3
)
1
(D
p
)
1
Normal Stress
First Test
S
h
e
a
r

S
t
r
e
s
s

A B
Triaxial Compression Test
S
h
e
a
r

S
t
r
e
s
s

Second Test
(s
1
)
1
(s
3
)
1
(D
p
)
1
(s
3
)
2
(D
p
)
2
(s
1
)
2
Normal Stress
A B C D
Triaxial Compression Test
S
h
e
a
r

S
t
r
e
s
s

Normal Stress
(s
1
)
1
(s
3
)
1
(D
p
)
1
(s
3
)
2
(D
p
)
2
(s
1
)
2
Strength Envelop
A B C D
Triaxial Compression Test
c
F
S
h
e
a
r

S
t
r
e
s
s

Normal Stress
(s
1
)
1
(s
3
)
1
(D
p
)
1
(s
3
)
2
(D
p
)
2
(s
1
)
2
Strength Envelop
A B C D
Example
Gien
Triaxial compression tests on three specimens of a soil sample
were performed. Each test was carried out until the specimen
experienced shear failure. The test data are tabulated as follows:
Required
The soils cohesion and angle of internal friction
Specimen
Number
Minor Principal Stress
(kips/ft
2
)
Deviator Stress at Failure
(kips/ft
2
)
1 1.44 5.76
2 2.88 6.85
3 4.32 7.50
Example
Specimen
Number
Minor Principal
Stress
(kips/ft
2
)
Deviator Stress
at Failure
(kips/ft
2
)
Major Principal
Stress (kips/ft
2
)
1 1.44 5.76 7.2
2 2.88 6.85 9.73
3 4.32 7.50 11.82
Example
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
2
4
6
8
Example
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
2
4
6
8
Example
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
2
4
6
8
Example
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
2
4
6
8
Example
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
2
4
6
8
4
2
2
1
/ 9 . 0
26
4
2
tan
4
2
tan
ft kip c =
=
|
.
|

\
|
=
=

|
|
|
Variations in Shear Test Procedures
Unconsolidated Undrained (UU) Q test
Consolidated Undrained (CU)
Consolidated Drained (CD) S test