EAG 345

GEOTECHNICAL
ANALYSIS

(iv) Determination of shear

strength parameters of soils (2)

By: Dr Mohd Ashraf Mohamad

Ismail
Types of Triaxial Tests deviatoric
stress ( = q)
Step 1
c Step 2

c c
c c

c c+ q
Under all-around cell pressure Shearing
c (loading)
Is the drainage valve Is the drainage valve
open? open?
yes no yes no

Consolidate Unconsolidate Drained Undrained

d sample d sample loading loading
Types of Triaxial Tests
Step 1 Step 2

Under all-around cell pressure Shearing

c (loading)

Is the drainage valve Is the drainage valve

open? open?
yes no yes no

Consolidate Unconsolidate Drained Undrained

d sample d sample loading
loading

CD UU
test test
CU
test
Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
Data analysis
Specimen
Initial specimen condition during
condition shearing
C = 3
No 3 + d
No
drainage C = 3
drainage 3

Initial volume of the sample = A0

H0
Volume of the sample during shearing = A
H
Since the test is conducted under undrained condition,

A H = A 0 H0
A0
A (H0 H) = A0 H0 A
A (1 H/H0) = A0
1 z
Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
Step 1: Immediately after sampling
0

Step 2: After application of hydrostatic cell pressure

= 3 = 3 -uc
C 3

No
C = 3
drainage
= uc + 3 = 3 -uc

uc = B 3
Increase of cell pressure
Increase of pwp due to
increase of cell pressure
Skemptons pore water
pressure parameter, B

Note: If soil is fully saturated, then B = 1 (hence, uc = 3)

 Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
Step 3: During application of axial load
'1 3 d uc mud
3 + d
No
drainage 3 '3 3 uc mud
= +
uc
ud

ud = ABd
Increase of pwp due to Increase of deviator
increase of deviator stress stress

Skemptons pore water

pressure parameter, A
Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)

Combining steps 2 and 3,

uc = B 3 ud = ABd
Total pore water pressure increment at any stage, u

u = uc + ud

u = B [3 + Ad]
Skemptons pore
u = B [3 + A(1 3] water pressure
equation
 Typical values for parameter B

f
(saturatio
n)
Degree of
saturation
Typical values for parameter A
 Relation between effective and total
stress criteria

Three identical saturated soil samples are sheared to failure in UU triaxial

tests. Each sample is subjected to a different cell pressure. No water can
drain at any stage. At failure the Mohr circles are found to be as shown

3 1
 Relation between effective and total
stress criteria

Three identical saturated soil samples are sheared to failure in UU triaxial

tests. Each sample is subjected to a different cell pressure. No water can
drain at any stage. At failure the Mohr circles are found to be as shown

3 1

We find that all the total stress Mohr circles are the same size, and
therefore u = 0 and = su = cu = constant
 stress criteria
Because each sample is at failure, the fundamental effective stress
failure condition must also be satisfied. As all the circles have the
same size there must be only one effective stress Mohr circle

c' n tan '

3 1
3
1
 Relation between effective and total
stress criteria

The different total stress Mohr circles with a single effective

stress Mohr circle indicate that the pore pressure is
different for each sample.

As discussed previously increasing the cell pressure without

allowing drainage has the effect of increasing the pore
pressure by the same amount (u = c) with no change in
effective stress.

The change in pore pressure during shearing is a function

of the initial effective stress and the moisture content. As
these are identical for the three samples an identical
strength is obtained.
 parameters

It is often found that a series of undrained

tests from a particular site give a value of u
that is not zero (cu not constant). If this
happens either
the samples are not saturated, or
the samples have different moisture
contents

If the samples are not saturated analyses

based on undrained behaviour will not be
correct

The undrained strength cu is not a fundamental

soil property. If the moisture content changes
Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)

Effect of degree of saturation on failure envelope

S < 100% S > 100%

3c 3b c 3a b a or

 Some practical applications of UU
analysis for clays

1. Embankment constructed rapidly over a soft clay deposit

Soft clay

= in situ undrained
shear strength
 Some practical applications of UU
analysis for clays

2. Large earth dam constructed rapidly with

no change in water content of soft clay

Core

= Undrained shear
strength of clay core
 Some practical applications of UU
analysis for clays

3. Footing placed rapidly on clay deposit

= In situ undrained shear strength

Note: UU test simulates the short term condition in

the field. Thus, cu can be used to analyze the
short term behavior of soils
Unconfined Compression Test (UC Test)

1 = VC +

3 =
0

Confining pressure is zero in the UC

test
Unconfined Compression Test (UC Test)

1 = VC +

Shear stress,
f

3 = 0

qu

Normal stress,

Note: Theoritically qu = cu , However in the actual

case qu < cu due to premature failure of the
sample
 Other laboratory shear tests

Direct simple shear

test

Torsional ring shear test

Plane strain triaxial test

 Other laboratory shear tests

Direct simple shear

test

Torsional ring shear test

Plane strain triaxial test

 Direct simple shear test

Porous Spiral wire

Soil specimen in rubber
stones
membrane

Direct shear test

= 80 mm
Direct simple shear test
 Other laboratory shear tests

Direct simple shear

test

Torsional ring shear test

Plane strain triaxial test

 Torsional ring shear test

f
max

res
Peak
Residual

Shear displacement
 Torsional ring shear test

Preparation of ring shaped

undisturbed samples is very
difficult. Therefore, remoulded
samples are used in most cases
 Other laboratory shear tests

Direct simple shear

test

Torsional ring shear test

Plane strain triaxial test

Plane strain triaxial test

1, 1

3, 3
2, 2

2 Specimen 2
Plane strain test
2 3
3
2 = 0

Rigid platens
 Drained and undrained conditions

DRAINED condition occurs when there is no change in pore

water pressure due to external loading

In a drained condition, the pore water can drain out of the

soil easily, causing volumetric strains in the soil

UNDRAINED condition occurs when the pore water is

unable to drain out of the soil

In undrained condition the rate of loading is much quicker

than the rate at which the pore water is able to drain out of
the soil

As a result, most of the external loading is taken by the pore

water, resulting in an increase in the pore water pressure.

The tendency of soil to change in volume is suppressed

during undrained loading.
 Drained and undrained conditions

The existence of either a drained or an undrained

condition in a soil depends on: ((i)soil types; fine-grained or
coarse grained, (ii) geological formation and (iii) rate of
loading)

For a rate of loading associated with a normal construction

activity, saturated coarse grained soils (e.g. sands and
gravel) experience drained conditions and saturated fine-
grained soils (e.g. silts and clays) experience undrained
conditions

If the rate of loading is fast enough (e.g. during an

earthquake), even coarse-grained soils can experience
undrained loading, often resulting in liquefaction.
 Example of undrained loading
(Liquefaction)

When loading is rapidly applied and large enough such that it does not
flow out in time before the next cycle of load is applied, the water
pressure may build to an extent where they exceed the contact
stresses between the grains of soil that keep them in contact with each
other. These contact between grains are the means by which the
weight of the buildings and overlying soil layers are transferred from
the ground surface to layers of soil or rock at greater depth. This loss of
soil structure causes it to lose all of its strength and it may be observed
 Example of undrained loading
(Liquefaction)

Uplift of sewerage
during Niigata
earthquake 2004

Collapse of flat house

during the 1964
Niigata earthquake,
Japan.
 Drained and undrained conditions

The shear strength of a fine-grained soil under undrained

condition is called the undrained shear strength and denoted
as su.

s u is the undrained
The radius of the Mohrs
shear circle of total stress:

1 f 3 f
s
strength depends only on u
2
the initial void ratio or the su
initial water content of the
soil 1 f
3 f
,

Total stress circle

 Drained and undrained conditions

The undrained shear strength is not a fundamental soil

parameter.

Its value depends on the values of the initial confining

stresses.

An increase in initial
confining stresses su1
causes a decrease in su 2
void ratio and an
increase in undrained
3 f 3 f 1 f 1
,f

shear strength
Selection of shear strength parameter
Drained or undrained ?

When designing a geotechnical structure,

both undrained and drained conditions must
be considered to determine which one is
more critical

CU with pore
water pressure
measurement
 Drained and Undrained shear strength

Condition Drained Undrained

Excess porewater Not zero; could be positive or
: 0 negative
pressure
Volume change Compression Positive excess porewater
pressure
Expansion Negative excess porewater
pressure
Consolidation Yes, fine grained soil No

Compression Yes Yes, but lateral expansion

must occur so that the
volume change is zero
' (or ' p ) S
Analysis Effectivecsstress (EFA) Total stressu (TSA)

Design parameters

Homework: Do reading from page 243 245 (Section 7.8) Soil

mechanics and foundations