Beng-Soil Mechanics IB-Slides 16-56
Beng-Soil Mechanics IB-Slides 16-56
Beng-Soil Mechanics IB-Slides 16-56
• That is,
σ1′ = σ1-u
σ′2 = σ2-u and
σ′3 = σ3-u
Where the superscript presents effective stress
′
Effective Stress, σ
• If a saturated soil fails by shear, the normal stress on the
plane of failure, σ also consists of the neutral stress, u and
an effective stress which led to the equation
• 𝜎′ = 𝜎 − 𝑢
Modified Coulomb’s Law
• Shear strength depends upon effective stress and not total stress
• A modification of the Coulomb’s equation in terms of effective stress
is therefore required, and is given by
• 𝛕𝐟 = 𝐜 ′ + 𝛔′ 𝐭𝐚𝐧ϕ′ where
– 𝐜 ′ is unit cohesion with respect to effective stress
– 𝛔′ is effective normal stress acting on failure plane
– ϕ′ is the angle of shearing resistance with respect to effective stress
• Depending upon the loading and drainage conditions, a clay soil may
exhibit
– purely frictional shear strength (i.e. act as a ‘𝐜 ′ = 0’ or ‘ϕ′ ’ - soil)
when its loaded in drained conditions
– only cohesive strength (i.e. to act as a ‘ϕ′ = 0’ or ‘𝒄- soil) when it
is loaded under undrained conditions. The same applies to granular
soils
Mohr-Coulomb yield theory
• This is one of the theories which has been proposed for soil
strength determination
• It does not consider
– The effect of strains or volume changes a soil undergoes on its
way to failure
– The effect of intermediate principal stress, σ2
– The theory assumes that the difference between the major and
minor principal stresses is a function of their sum i.e.
A B
Mohr-Coulomb yield theory Cont’
• Also,
Determination of shear strength parameters
• The shear strength of a soil is controlled by the effective stress
• Analysis involving the operative strength of a soil must be carried
out in terms of the effective stress parameters 𝐜 ′ and ϕ′
• However, a fully saturated clay subjected to undrained loading is
analyzed using total stress values c and ϕ
• The values of the undrained parameters c and ϕ and of drained
parameters 𝐜 ′ and ϕ′ are generally required from laboratory tests
mimicking as possible loading and drainage conditions in the field.
• The tests in general use are
– The direct shear box test
– The triaxial test
– The unconfined compression test – an adaptation of the triaxial
test
The direct shear box test
• The apparatus (RHS) consists of
a brass box split horizontally at
the centre of the soil specimen.
• The soil is gripped by
perforated metal grilles behind
which porous discs can be
placed if required to allow the
sample to drain
• The usual plan size of the • As the shear plane is pre-
specimen is 60x60mm2 but for determined in the horizontal
gravels or stony clay, a larger direction, the vertical load is also
box of 300x300mm2 or greater the normal load on the plane of
is used failure
• A vertical load is applied to the • A shearing force is gradually
top of the sample by means of exerted on the box from an
weights electronically driven scewjack
The direct shear box test Cont’
• The shear force is measured by means of a load transducer
connected to a computer or by a proving ring fitted with a
gauge
• By means of another transducer (fixed to the shear box) or a
gauge, the strain on the test sample at any point during shear
is determined
• The load reading is taken at fixed displacements, and failure
of the soil specimen is indicated by a sudden drop in the
magnitude of the reading or a levelling off in successive
readings
• Graphs of shearing force against strain are plotted manually
or by a computer real time.
Example 1
Solution
Example 2
Example 2 Cont’
• Solution
Example 2 Cont’
C=13 ϕ = 25o
σ3 σ3 σ3 σ3
σ1 σ3
• The triaxial test therefore happens in two stages σ1-σ3
• Application of the cell pressure, σ3
• Application of the deviator stress, q i.e. (σ1-σ3)
Principal Stresses Cont’
• The deviator stress is plotted against vertical strain and the
point of failure of each sample is obtained
• Mohr circles for each sample are then drawn and the best
common tangent to the circles is taken as the shear strength
envelope.
σ3 σ1
The unconfined compression test
• This is a special case of the triaxial test in which the all-round
pressure on the sample is zero and no rubber membrane is
necessary to encase the specimen
• The test is normally done on cohesive soils
• The test specimen is loaded through a calibrated spring by a
simple manually-operated screwjack at the top of the machine
• In order to test soils of varying strengths, a range of springs is
supplied generally with stiffness in the order of 2, 4, 8 and 16
Nmm-1 extension.
• By means of an autographic recording arm, the graph of load
against deformation is drawn directly on to a sheet of paper
• Knowing the vertical deformation, the area of the sample at
failure can be obtained and hence the stress.
The unconfined compression test
• In common practice, the
cohesion of the soil is
1
taken to be σ (one half
2
stress) at failure
• The angle of shearing
resistance is assumed to
be zero. That is, ϕ = 0.
• Unconfined compression
is recorded to the nearest
2 kNm-2 for values up to
50 kNm-2, to the nearest 5
kNm-2 for values 50-100
kNm-2 and to the nearest
10 kNm-2 for values
above 100 kNm-2
Determination of the Total stress parameters
• The Undrained Shear Test
– This is the simplest method for determining ϕ and c
– The soil sample is prevented from draining during shear
– Shearing is done immediately after the application of the normal
load (in the shear box) or immediately after the application of the
cell pressure (in the triaxial apparatus)
– Is quick since a sample can be tested in 15min or less so that
there is no time for any pore pressures developed to dissipate or
to distribute themselves evenly throughout the sample
– Pore water pressure measurements are therefore not possible and
the results are expressed in terms of total stress.
– The unconfined compression apparatus is only capable of
carrying out an undrained test on clay soil with no radial pressure
applied. The test takes a minute
– Cannot test silts and sands in the shear box
Example 1
Example 1 Cont’
Example 1 Cont’
Example 2
Example 2 Cont’
σ1 −σ3
• Recall σ1 − σ3 = 2𝐶𝑐𝑜𝑠ϕ + σ1 + σ3 𝑆𝑖𝑛ϕ. If ϕ = 0o, then σ1 −σ3 = 2𝐶 ⇒ 𝐶 =
2
Determination of the effective stress parameters
• Two triaxial tests are normally used to determine 𝑐 ′ and ϕ′ .
The tests are
– The consolidated drained test
– The consolidated undrained test
• The Consolidated drained test
– This is the slow test
– A porous disc is placed on the pedestal before the test sample is
placed in position so that water can drain out from the soil
– The triaxial cell is then assembled, filled with water and
pressurized
– The cell pressure creates a pore water pressure within the soil
sample and the apparatus is left until the sample has consolidated
i.e. until the pore water pressure has been dissipated by water
seeping out through the porous disc into the burette
The Consolidated drained test
Thank you