In Situ Tests Field Vane Shear Test

Executive Summary

This paper is about in situ tests field vane shear test discussing the field vane test, the principle
of the test, the test procedure and the interpretation of test results or determination of undrained
cohesion.

1. Introduction

The vane shear test is an in-situ geotechnical method of testing used to estimate
the shear strength of undrained fine-grained soils (clays and silts). It can be conducted on
the sample with a mini vane or hand vane (ASTM D4648) or performed in the field with
a field vane (ASTM D2573).

The Vane shear test is utilized in obtaining the undrained shear strength of
saturated fine-grained soil. The reason is due to the minimal permeability of the soil and
it does not allow for adequate drainage during a test that lasts less than 10 minutes. As a
result, it is acceptable to presume that the shearing process is undrained in these saturated
fine-grained soils, and that the parameter being measured is the undrained shear strength.

Coarse-grained soils can be tested using the vane shear test, although it will not
produce a useful result. These soils drain quickly enough that the drained or partially
drained shear strength would be measured rather than the undrained shear strength.
Backcalculation for the shear strength parameters from this test would require knowledge
of the normal effective stress on the plane of failure in addition to Tmax whereas during the
VST it is not measured. On the other hand, the several advantages of VST is that it is
economical, fast, and simple as well as an effective method for determining the undrained
shear strength of fine-grained soils. However, VST is limited to fine-grained soil where
other ways of obtaining undrained shear strength are widely utilized. One exception is
offshore applications, where acquiring samples is prohibitively expensive and sample
decompression can alter the true undrained strength of the soil in situ; in this scenario, the
VST comes in practical.

2. Field Vane Test

The field vane test (ASTM D2573) is an in-situ test carried out with a rectangular
vane made up of four plates fastened at 90 degrees to each other and pushed into the soil
to the appropriate depth and rotated. It is used for obtaining and determination of the
undrained shear strength of fine-grained soils. Field vane tests are also used in identifying
the undrained shear strength and sensitivity of soft cohesive soil.
 The remolded shear strength value can be measured after the extensive rotation of
the vane which causes the soil along the failure surface to become extensively remolded
hence, the sensitivity of the soil can be calculated.

3. Principle of the Test

The vane is made of two perpendicular blades with a height-to-width ratio of 2 to 1. The
width field vanes range from 38 to 92 mm, with the larger vanes being utilized in softer
soils. The lab vanes range in width from 10 to 20 mm. The VST involves pushing a vane
at the end of a rod into the soil until the desired depth is reached. When the testing depth
is achieved, the vane is rotated slowly (less than 1 degree per minute) while the torque
and rotation angle are measured. The torque's maximum value, T max . The blade is then
rapidly turned for at least 10 times before a new maximum torque value, Tres is measured.

4. Test Procedure

The vane measures 60, 70, and 100 mm in diameter. The vane with a diameter of
100 mm is preserved for measurements in extremely soft soils (undrained consistency of
less than or equal to 20 kPa). For uniform clays, the 60 mm diameter reel is utilized
(undrained consistency of around 100 kPa). The ratio of the vanes' height to their
diameter must be at least 2.

4.1. Pre-drilling and pushing down the vane

1. Predrilling shall be conducted through eventually possible dry crust or fill when a
vane test is to be performed in the soil.

2. The water pressure in the casing system must be the same as that in the soil at the
test level when utilizing an outer system with a casing covering the vane.

3. Penetration is carried out, if possible, without the use of blows, vibration or

4. To get the vane to the necessary depth in stiff clays, silts, and clay till, driving
may be required.

5. In the case of test depths more than 5 m, the spacing between investigation points
must be at least 2.0 m in plan.

6. The minimum ground penetration must be such that the upper part of the reel is
more than 0.5m below the hobbing start level, or at least 5 drill diameters from the
bottom of the bore.

7. The minimum vertical distance for two consecutive tests shall be at least 0.5 m.
 4.2. Vane Shear Test

1. The time from the moment when the desired test depth has been reached to the
beginning of the vane test (waiting time) shall be at least 2 min and no more than
5 min.

2. The vane shall be loaded by application of torque in such a way that failure of the
soil occurs in undrained conditions. The vane shall be rotated at a constant rate.

3. The rotational speed at the head of the rod string must be between 6° and 18°
degrees per minute (sexagesimal degrees). Soft cohesive soils with minimal
sensitivity can be rotated at up to 0.5° per second.

4. The test must be carried out in such a way that the skin friction between the rods
can be separated.

5. After failure has occurred and the maximum torque has been recorded, the vane
must be rapidly rotated for at least ten turns to remold the soil at the failure
surface, and then a new test must be done immediately according to the
instructions above. At the remolded state, the torque is measured at a constant
value.

5. Interpretation of Test Results

The vane of the vane tester forms a cylinder that includes:

● the cylinder's exterior surface with a diameter of D and a height of h, and thus an
area of π.D.h;

● the two circular sheared faces, upper and lower, having a diameter D;

● the cone's lateral surface that supports the vanes.

We presume the soil only reacts because of its undrained cohesiveness. As a

● Consider a circular ring of thickness dr on the horizontal inferior face, to which a

● the shear strength cu is exerted on the surface of the cylinder of radius D/2 [5.5]
along the lateral surface;

● the differential between the sections of the exterior enclosing disk and the internal
disk supporting the rotation axis along the top horizontal disk [5.6];
 ● along the frustum of the cone supporting the vanes, with m equal to 0.6 [5.7] by
convention;

● As a result, the total resisting torque is the sum of these four values. We can
deduct from this coefficient K such that [5.8]:

[5.1]

[5.2]

[5.3]

[5.4]

[5.5]

[5.6]

[5.7]

[5.8]

We may calculate the undrained consistency using relation [5.9] and the residual
consistency using relation [5.10] by measuring the experiment moment M mes. The
plasticity index Ip influences the experimental corrective coefficient k. Pilot proposed that
the test results be adjusted to account for the influence of plasticity.
 [5.9]

[5.10]

References
Briaud, J. L. (2013). In Situ Tests. Geotechnical Engineering, 104–150.

https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118686195.ch7

Monnet, J. (2015). Direct Shear TestsIn Situ. In Situ Tests in Geotechnical Engineering, 157–

174. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119145592.ch8

Projects, V. (2021, March 9). How to Write an Engineering Report. Vista Projects.

https://www.vistaprojects.com/blog/4-easy-sections-to-structure-engineering-

reportseffectively/