12/4/2014

L. 22-23-24
Shear Strength of Soils
CIVE 431
SOIL MECHANICS & LAB
FALL 2014

Shear Failure in Soils

Soils generally fail in shear
embankment
strip footing

failure surface

mobilised shear
resistance

At failure, shear stress along the failure surface

reaches the shear strength.

12/4/2014

Shear Failure in Soils

failure surface

The soil grains slide over

each other along the failure
surface.

Tests to Measure Shear Strength

1. Direct Shear Test
Normal load
Top platen
Motor
drive

Soil

Load cell to
measure
Shear Force
Porous
plates

Measure

Rollers
relative horizontal displacement, dx
vertical displacement of top platen, dy

12/4/2014

Typical Direct Shear Machine

Typical Direct Shear Machine

Vertical load, N

T
Direction of
Movement

12/4/2014

Typical Direct Shear Results

Shear Load (F)

Test 2

Normal
load
increasing

Test 1

Horizontal displacement (dx)

Actual Direct Shear Results

Shear Stress (kPa)

120
Total normal
stress

100
80

25 kPa
50 kPa
100 kPa

60
40
20
0
0

Shear Displacement (mm)

12/4/2014

Result of Shear Test on Dry Sand

20000
C = 197 psf

Shear Stress, psf

= 42 degrees

Failure
point

10000

Stress
path

0
0

10000

20000

Normal Stress, psf

Mohr Coulomb Failure Criteria

f c tan

friction angle

cohesion

f is the maximum shear stress the soil can take

without failure, under normal stress of .

12/4/2014

Example
Direct Shear Test
Given:
A direct shear test conducted on a dry soil sample
yielded the following results:
Normal Stress, (psi)

Max. Shear Stress, (psi)

10.0

6.5

25.0

11.0

40.0

17.5

Required:
Determine shear strength parameters of the soil

Example 1
Direct Shear Test Results
Max. Shear Stress (psi

20

15

10

0
0

10

20

30

Normal Stress (psi)

40

50

c 2.5 psi
(20 2.5)
0.365
48
tan 1 (0.365) 20
tan

12/4/2014

Direct Shear Test

The Mohr-Coulomb Envelope that was shown before
was for dry sands.
Typically soils have some moisture in them.
Pore water pressure is generated during
shearing.
If pore water pressures are positive, water moves out
of the sample during shear (Compression).
If pore water pressures are negative, water moves
into the sample during shear (Dilation or Expansion)
In Direct Shear Test, we try to shear the sample slow
enough so that we have no generation of pore
water pressure (Drained Test) .

Direct Shear Test

Since we are conducting a drained test, the pore
water pressures are ZERO, and the total stresses
at failure are equal to the effective stresses.
Write the Mohr-Coulomb Equation as:

f c' ' tan '

The direct shear test is useful and reasonably
economical for cases where we need the shearing
properties under fully drained conditions.

12/4/2014

Direct Shear Test

Usually only relatively slow drained tests are performed in
shear box apparatus. For clays rate of shearing must be
chosen to prevent excess pore pressures building up. For
sands and gravels tests can be performed quickly
Tests on sands and gravels are usually performed dry.
Water does not significantly affect the (drained)
strength.
If there are no excess pore pressures and as the pore
pressure is approximately zero the total and effective
stresses will be identical.
The failure stresses thus define an effective stress failure
envelope from which the effective (drained) strength
parameters c, can be determined.

Limitations of Direct Shear Test

Planar shear failure

may not be the plane of weakness

Boundary condition
changing area

NO control of pwp

The failure Regarded as

a drained shear test for sands

Drained for clays only if rate of shearing is VERY slow

12/4/2014

Tests to Measure Shear Strength

2. The Triaxial Test

Deviatoric load
Confining cylinder

Cell water
Rubber
membrane
O-ring seals
Soil

Cell
pressure

Porous filter disc

Pore pressure and

volume change

Triaxial Setup

12/4/2014

Stresses in Triaxial Specimen

1

F = Deviator load

3 = Radial stress (cell

pressure)

d = Deviatoric
Stress

1 = Axial stress
From equilibrium we have a r
1

F
A

Triaxial Compression Test

Shear Failure

10

12/4/2014

Triaxial Compression Test

Triaxial
Cell

Panel for
Controlling
Pressures

Soil
Sample

Triaxial Compression Test

Measure
Displacements

Triaxial Cell

Measure Force
Soil Sample

11

12/4/2014

Steps in Triaxial Test

Apply a confining pressure, 3 in the sample
from all directions
Start Increasing the Vertical Pressure in Small
Increments until sample fails
STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

Typical Triaxial Test Results

d
Increasing cell
pressure

12

12/4/2014

Mohr Circle
Mohr circle represents combinations of and
on different planes passing through a point

,)

(1,0)

(3,0)

Mohr-Coulomb Failure Envelope

Failure
Envelope

Failure Points

Failure Points

Cohesion

Soil Sample 1
Soil Sample 2

13

12/4/2014

Orientation of Failure Plane

Failure Point

Failure plane oriented at an angle 2 = 90 +

Failure plane oriented at = 45 +

Failure in Triaxial Test

14

12/4/2014

Orientation of Failure Plane

Failure plane
oriented at 45 + /2
to horizontal

Y
45 + /2

GL

45 + /2

c
c
Y

90+

c+

Types of Triaxial Tests

deviatoric stress ()

Under all-around
cell pressure c

Is the drainage valve open?

yes

Consolidated
sample

no

Unconsolidated
sample

Shearing (loading)

Is the drainage valve open?

yes

Drained
loading

no

Undrained
loading

15

12/4/2014

Types of Triaxial Tests

Depending on whether drainage is allowed or
not during
initial isotropic cell pressure application, and
shearing,
there are three special types of triaxial tests
that have practical significances. They are:
Consolidated
Consolidated
Unconsolidated

Drained (CD) test

Undrained (CU) test
Undrained (UU) test

Types of Triaxial Tests

For unconsolidated
undrained test, in
terms of total
stresses, u = 0
Granular soils have
no cohesion.
c = 0 & c= 0

For normally consolidated

clays, c = 0.

16

12/4/2014

CD, CU, and UU Triaxial Tests

Consolidated Drained (CD) Test
no excess pore pressure throughout the test
very slow shearing to avoid build-up of pore
pressure
Can be days!

not desirable

gives c and
Use c and for analysing fully drained
situations (e.g., long term stability,
very slow loading)

CD, CU, and UUTriaxial Tests

Consolidated Undrained (CU) Test
pore pressure develops during shear
Measure

gives c and
faster than CD (preferred way to find c and )

17

12/4/2014

CD, CU, and UU Triaxial Tests

Unconsolidated Undrained (UU) Test
pore pressure develops during shear
Not measured
unknown

= 0; i.e., failure
envelope is horizontal

analyze in terms of gives cu and u

very quick test
Use cu and u for analysing undrained
situations (e.g., short term stability,
quick loading)

Types of Triaxial Tests - Summary

UU (Unconsolidated Undrained) test (Q-Test)
Cell pressure applied without allowing drainage.
Then keeping cell pressure constant, increase
deviatoric load to failure without drainage.

CU (Consolidated Undrained) test (R-Test)

Drainage allowed during cell pressure application.
Then without allowing further drainage increase d .

CD (Consolidated Drained) test (S-Test)

Similar to CU except that as deviatoric stress is
increased drainage is permitted.

18

12/4/2014

Advantages of Triaxial Tests

The complete stress-strain-strength behavior
can be investigated
Drained and undrained tests can be
performed
Pore water pressures can be measured in
undrained tests, allowing effective stresses to
be determined
Different combinations of cell pressure and
axial stress can be applied

Consolidated Drained Test on Normally

Consolidated Clay or Loose Sand

Sample
Compresses
During Shearing

19

12/4/2014

Consolidated Drained Test on OC Clay

or Very Dense Sand

Sample
Compresses and
then expands
During Shearing
Compression

Dilation (Expansion)

-5

Results of CD-Triaxial Tests

Failure Envelope from
CD-Triaxial Test:

, c

Sample 2
Sample 1

20

12/4/2014

Results of CU-Triaxial Tests

Effective Stress Failure

Envelope: c and

Total Stress Mohr Circle

u
u
For any point in the soil a total and an effective stress
Mohr circle can be drawn. These are the same size with
1 3 1 3
The two circles are displaced horizontally by the
pore pressure, u.

CU Tests on NC Clays or Loose Sands

Effective Stress Failure

Envelope: c and

Total Stress Mohr Circle

u (Positive)
u (Positive)
* For Normally Consolidated Clays and Loose Sands,
the tendency to compress in Drained Tests reflects in
a tendency to generate positive pore water pressure
during Undrained Tests

21

12/4/2014

CU Tests on OC Clays or Dense Sands

Effective Stress Failure
Envelope: c and

Total Stress Mohr Circle

u (Negative)
u (Negative)
* For Overconsolidated Clays and Dense Sands, the
tendency to Dilate in Drained Tests reflects in a
tendency to generate negative pore water pressure
during Undrained Tests

UU-Triaxial Tests on Saturated Clays

(Samples have Same Water Content)

Failure Envelope
from UU Test:

= su = c ; = 0

su
3

Sample 2
Sample 1

Undrained Shear Strength: Su = (1 3)/2

22

12/4/2014

UU-Triaxial Tests on Unsaturated Clays

(Samples have Same Water Content)

Failure Envelope
from UU Test:

#0

Sample 2
Sample 1

Undrained Shear Strength of Clays

(c, Su)

The Undrained Shear Strength is a function of the

Void Ratio of the clay, which is a function of the
vertical Effective Stress.
Vertical Effective Stress, (v)

Undrained Strength (su)

Sample 1 (v)1, (su)1

su/ v

Sample 2 (v)2, (su)2

Sample 3 (v)3, (su)3

23

12/4/2014

Strength Ratio
(su/ v or c/p)

The Strength Ratio (su/sv) is a function of the

Overconsolidation ratio (OCR) of the clay.

Vertical Effective Stress, (v)

Undrained Strength (su)

su/ v

Normally Consolidated Clay

su
' 0.11 0.0037( PI )
v NC
Plasticity
Index

Overconsolidated Clay
s
su
' u' OCR m
v OC v NC

0.75 0.85

Interpretation of Laboratory Tests

1. Drained shear loading
In laboratory tests the loading rate is chosen so
that no excess water pressures will be generated,
and the specimens are free to drain. Effective
stresses can be determined from the applied total
stresses and the known pore water pressure
(Which is ZERO).
Only the effective strength parameters c and
have any relevance to drained tests.

24

12/4/2014

Interpretation of Laboratory Tests

Effective strength parameters are generally used to
check the long term stability (that is when all
excess pore pressures have dissipated) of soil
constructions.
For sands and gravels pore pressures dissipate
rapidly and the effective strength parameters can
also be used to check the short term stability.
In principle the effective strength parameters can
be used to check the stability at any time for any
soil type. However, to do this the pore pressures in
the ground must be known and in general they are
only known in the long term.

Interpretation of Laboratory Tests

2. Undrained loading
In undrained laboratory tests no drainage from the
sample must occur.
In the shear box this requires fast shear rates (basically
impossible). In triaxial tests slower loading rates are
possible because conditions are uniform and
drainage from the sample is easily prevented.
In a triaxial test with pore pressure measurement the
effective stresses can be determined and the effective
strength parameters c, evaluated. These can be
used as discussed previously to evaluate long term
stability.

25

12/4/2014

Interpretation of Laboratory Tests

The undrained tests can also be used to determine the total
(or undrained) strength parameters cu, u. If these parameters
are to be relevant to the ground the moisture content must be
the same. This can be achieved either by performing UU tests
or by using CU tests and consolidating to the in-situ stresses.
The total (undrained) strength parameters are used to assess
the short term stability of soil constructions. It is important that
no drainage should occur if this approach is to be valid. For
example, a total stress analysis would not be appropriate for
sands and gravels.
For clayey soils a total stress analysis is the only simple way to
assess stability. Note that undrained strengths can be
determined for any soil, but they may not be relevant in
practice

Comments on Undrained Strength

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
The undrained strength cu is not a
fundamental soil property. If the moisture
content changes so will the undrained
strength.

26

12/4/2014

Residual Drained Shear Strength

Shear Stress

Peak Strength

Residual Strength

Horizontal Displacement

Peak vs Residual Shear Strength

20000

Shear Stress, psf

Peak Strength
c,
10000

Residual Strength
cr, r

0
0

10000

20000

Normal Stress, psf

27

12/4/2014

Shear Strength Properties

Shear Strength Properties

28

12/4/2014

Shear Strength Properties

Shear Strength Properties

29