378 Chapter 12: Shear Strength of Soil

Mohrs fail ure envelope in sand

Shear stress, t

[tf (2) , s(2 )]

 )]
[tf(1), s(1

d1

d2

Figure 12.17
Curvilinear nature of Mohrs
failure envelope in sand

Normal stress, s

This is shown in Figure 12.17. In a similar manner, if the test is conducted with
s
s122, then
d
d2
tan1 c

tf122
s122

As can be seen from Figure 12.17, d2 d1 since s2  s112. Keeping this in mind,
it must be realized that the values of f given in Table 12.1 are only the average values.

Example 12.1
Following are the results of four drained direct shear tests on an overconsolidated clay:
Diameter of specimen
50 mm
Height of specimen
25 mm

Test
no.

Normal
force, N
(N)

Shear force at
failure, Speak
(N)

Residual shear
force, Sresidual
(N)

1
2
3
4

150
250
350
550

157.5
199.9
257.6
363.4

44.2
56.6
102.9
144.5

Determine the relationships for peak shear strength (tf) and residual shear strength (tr).

12.6 General Comments on Direct Shear Test

379

Solution
50 2
b
0.0019634 m2. Now the following
Area of the specimen 1A2
1p/4 2 a
1000
table can be prepared.

Test
no.

Normal
force, N
(N)

Normal
stress, S
(kN/m2)

Peak shear
force, Speak
(N)

1
2
3
4

150
250
350
550

76.4
127.3
178.3
280.1

157.5
199.9
257.6
363.4

A
(kN/m2)

Residual
shear
force,
Sresidual
(N)

80.2
101.8
131.2
185.1

44.2
56.6
102.9
144.5

Tf

Speak

Tr

Sresidual

A
(kN/m2)

22.5
28.8
52.4
73.6

The variations of tf and tr with s are plotted in Figure 12.18. From the plots, we
nd that
Peak strength:

tf 1kN/m2 2
40 S tan 27

Residual strength: tr 1kN/m2 2
S tan 14.6

(Note: For all overconsolidated clays, the residual shear strength can be expressed as
tr
s tan fr
where fr
effective residual friction angle.)

300

Shear stress, t (kN/m2)

250

200

150

tf versus s

100
27
f

50

tr versus s

c
40 kN/m2
fr
14.6

0
0

50

100
150
200
250
Effective normal stress, s (kN/m2)

300

350

Figure 12.18
Variations
of tf and tr
with s