Direct Shear Test (Complete Report)

DIRECT SHEAR TEST
OBJECTIVES
To determine the shearing strength of the soil using the direct shear apparatus
Introduction
In many engineering problems such as design of foundation, retaining walls, slab bridges, pipes,
sheet piling, the value of the angle of internal friction and cohesion of the soil involved are required for
the design. Direct shear test is used to predict these parameters quickly. The laboratory report cover the
laboratory procedures for determining these values for cohesionless soils.
Theory
The strength of a soil depends of its resistance to shearing stresses. It is made up of basically the
components,
Frictional due to friction between individual particles

Cohesive - due to adhesion between the soil particles /
Apparatus
Shear box, divided into two halves by a horizontal plane, and fitted with locking and spacing
screws
Box container to hold the shear box
Base plate having cross grooves on its top surface
Grid plates
Porous stones
Static or dynamic compaction devices
Procedure
The shear box was assembled

The soil sample was compacted in mould after bringing it to optimum moisture condition
The sample was carefully transferred into shear box
Loading plate was placed on top of the upper porous plate. After recording the weight of the
loading carrier place it is on the loading cap
All dial gauges were positioned and set the readings to zero. Remove the alignment screws which
hold two halves of the shear box together
Desired normal load was applied
Check that screws have been removed and then start the motor to produce the desired constant rate
of shearing
Readings were taken of Shear load from the proving ring, Shear displacement
Test was stopped when the shear load starts to reduce or remains constant for at least three
readings
Soil was removed and repeat the procedure with different normal loads at least for another two
samples
Graphs and analysis
Discussion
The test is carried out on a soil sample confined in a metal box of square cross-section which is split
horizontally at mid-height. A small clearance is maintained between the two halves of the box.The soil
is sheared along a predetermined plane by moving the top half of the box relative to the bottom half.
The box is usually square in plan of size
60 mm x 60 mm. A typical shear box is shown.
If the soil sample is fully or partially saturated, perforated metal plates and porous stones are
placed below and above the sample to allow free drainage. If the sample is dry, solid metal
plates are used. A load normal to the plane of shearing can be applied to the soil sample
through the lid of the box.
Tests on sands and gravels can be performed quickly, and are usually performed dry as it is
found that water does not significantly affect the drained strength. For clays, the rate of shearing
must be chosen to prevent excess pore pressures building up.
As a vertical normal load is applied to the sample, shear stress is gradually applied horizontally,
by causing the two halves of the box to move relative to each other. The shear load is measured
together with the corresponding shear displacement. The change of thickness of the sample is
also measured.
A number of samples of the soil are tested each under different vertical loads and the value of
shear stress at failure is plotted against the normal stress for each test. Provided there is no
excess pore water pressure in the soil, the total and effective stresses will be identical. From the
stresses at failure, the failure envelope can be obtained.
The test has several advantages:
Large samples can be tested in large shear boxes, as small samples can give
misleading results due to imperfections such as fractures and fissures, or may not
be truly representative.
6
Samples can be sheared along predetermined planes, when the shear strength
along fissures or other selected planes are needed.
It is easy to test sands and gravels.
The disadvantages of the test include:
The shear box apparatus cannot give reliable undrained strengths because it is
impossible to prevent localised drainage away from the shear plane.
There is no provision for measuring pore water pressure in the shear box and so it
is not possible to determine effective stresses from undrained tests.
The failure plane is always horizontal in the test, and this may not be the weakest
plane in the sample. Failure of the soil occurs progressively from the edges
towards the centre of the sample.
References
http://www.geotechdata.info/geotest/direct-shear-test.html (01/03/2016)
http://theconstructor.org/geotechnical/shear-strength-of-soil-by-direct-shear-test/3112/
http://www.astm.org/Standards/D5607.htm
http://theconstructor.org/geotechnical/shear-strength-of-soil-by-direct-shear-test/3112/
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674200108001739

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DIRECT SHEAR TEST

Frictional due to friction between individual particles

The shear box was assembled

Graphs and analysis

The disadvantages of the test include:

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