DIRECT SHEAR TEST

1. Objective
For any soil Cohesion (C) and Angle of Internal Friction (Ø) are two important
engineering properties, which indicate the shear strength of soil. These two parameters
are required for design of slopes, calculation bearing capacity of any strata, calculation
of consolidation parameters and in many other analyses. Direct shear test is used to
predict these parameters quickly, especially in cohesionless soils.

This test procedure covers for determination of shear strength of soil with a maximum
particle size of 4.75 mm in undrained, consolidated undrained and consolidated drained
condition.
2. Apparatus Required

Fig. 1: Direct Shear Test Apparatus

Loading Frame, Weights, Proving Ring,
Micrometer Dial Gauge, Sample Trimmer or
Core Cutter, Stop Watch, Balance, Spatula,
Straight edge, Shear box grid plates, porous
stones, base plates, loading pad and water
jacket shall conform to IS : 11229-1985.
(a) Upper and lower parts of shear box
coupled together with two pins
(b) Grid plates - 2 pairs
(c) Stone plates
(d) 4 Base plate
(e) Top plate
(f) Loading pad, and

Fig. 2: Weighing balance

The balance of 1 kg capacity, sensitive to
0.1 g.
3. Reference
IS 2720(Part 13):1986 Methods of test for soils: Direct shear test. Reaffirmed- 2021.
4. Preparation of Specimen
1. Undisturbed Specimen -Specimens of required size shall be prepared from the
undisturbed specimen collected from field in accordance with IS: 2720 (Part 1)-
1983.
2. Remoulded Specimens :
a. Cohesive soils may be compacted to the required density and moisture
content, the sample extracted and then trimmed to the required size.
Alternatively, the soil may be compacted to the required density and
moisture content directly into the shear box after fixing the two-halves of
the shear box together by means of the fixing screws.
b. Cohesionless soils may be tamped in the shear box itself with the base plate
and grid plate or porous stone as required in place at the bottom of the
box.
c. The cut specimen shall be weighed and trimmings obtained during cutting
shall be used to obtain the moisture content. Using this information, the
bulk dry density of the specimen in the shear box shall be determined.
5. Procedure
5.1 Undrained Test- The shear box with the specimen, plain grid plate over the base
plate at the bottom of the specimen and plain grid plate at the top of the specimen
should be fitted into position in the load frame. The serrations of the grid plates should
be at right angles to the direction of Shear. The loading pad should be placed on the
top grid plate. The required normal stress should be applied and the rate of longitudinal
displacement/shear stress application so adjusted that no drainage can occur in the
sample during the test. The upper part of the shear box should be raised such that a
gap of about 1 mm is left between the two parts of the box. The test may now be
conducted by applying horizontal shear load to failure or to 20 percent longitudinal
displacement, whichever occurs first. The shear load readings indicated by the proving
ring assembly and the corresponding longitudinal displacements should be noted at
regular intervals. If necessary, the vertical compression, if any, of the soil specimen
may be measured to serve as a check to ensure that drainage has not taken place from
the soil specimen. At the end of the test, the specimen should be removed from the
box and the final moisture content measured. A minimum of three (preferably four)
tests shall be made on separate specimens of the same density.
NOTE - As porous stones are not used for the undrained tests, plain plates of equal
thickness should be substituted in their place so as to maintain the
shear plane in the sample in the middle of its thickness.

5.2 Consolidated Undrained Test-The apparatus should be assembled in a way

similar to that given in 5.1 except that instead of the plain grid plates, perforated grid
plates and saturated porous stones should be used at the top and bottom of the
specimen. The procedure is same as in 5.1 except that after the application of normal
stress, the vertical compression of the soil with time should be recorded [IS: 2720 (Part
15)-1986. The shear test should be conducted only after complete consolidation has
occurred under the particular normal stress. The rate of shear should be such that water
does not drain from the specimen at the time of application of the shear load. At the
end of the test, the specimen should be removed from the box and the final moisture
content measured. A minimum of three (preferably four) tests should be made on
separated specimens of the same density at different normal stresses.

5.3 Consolidated Drained Test-The shear box with sample and perforated grid plates
and porous stones should be fitted into the load frame. After application of normal
stress which is done in increments [see IS : 2720 ( Part 15 )-1986, the sample should
be allowed to consolidate. When the consolidation has completely occurred, the shear
test should be done at such a slow rate that at least 95 percent pore pressure
dissipation occurs during the test in this calculated time factor.

For sandy soils, a rate of strain of 0.2 mm/min may be suitable. For clayey soils, a rate
of Strain of 0.01 mm/min or slower may be used but actual rate of strain suitable for
the soil under test may be ascertained as given below:

From the consolidatation data collected, the compression dial readings should be
plotted against the logarithm of time and from this curve, the value of coefficient of
consolidation, Cv, should be computed from the formula :
Cv = (0.197 h2)/t50

Where,
2h = initial thickness of the specimen
t50 = time corresponding to 50% consolidation
The requisite time to failure when theoretically 95 percent dissipation is
ensured, may be obtained from the following equation:
tf = h2/(η Cv (1-Uc)) = (20 h2/3 Cv)

Where,
tf = time to failure
2h = initial thickness of specimen
η = a constant for drainage from both ends = 3
Uc = degree of pore pressure dissipation
From a knowledge of approximate strain expected at failure, the rate of strain for the
test may be calculated. In the case of cohesive soils, the failure may be assumed as
taking place at 5 percent deformation.
At the end of the test, the specimen should be removed from the box and the final
moisture content measured. A minimum of three (preferably four) tests should be made
on separate specimens of the same density at different normal stresses.
5.4 The normal stresses to be selected for the test should correspond to the field
conditions and design requirements.
6. Calculation and Report
1. From the calibration chart of the proving-ring, the loads corresponding to the load
dial readings obtained during the test should be calculated. The loads so obtained
divided by the corrected cross-sectional area of the specimen gives the shear
stress in the sample. The corrected cross-sectional area shall be calculated from
the following equation:

Corrected Area = A0(1 - (δ/6))

Where
A0 = initial area of the specimen in cm2 and
δ = displacement in cm.
2. The longitudinal displacement at a particular load may be either noted directly
from the strain dial readings or calculated as the product of the corresponding
time reading and the strain rate, allowing for the compression of the proving-
ring, where applicable. The stress longitudinal displacement readings should be
plotted and the maximum stress and corresponding longitudinal displacement
together with the normal load applied during the test recorded.
NOTE : In general, failure in direct shear may be considered to take place either
at maximum shear or at the maximum obliquity of the Mohr failure envelope. If
the failure is assumed to take place at maximum shear and not at maximum
obliquity, the angle of shearing resistance thus obtained will be smaller, giving
an error, if any, on the safe side. It should, however, be noted that differences
in the values of the angle of shearing resistance obtained by using the two criteria
mentioned above are more important for sands than for clays.
3. The maximum shear stress and the corresponding longitudinal displacement and
applied normal stress should be recorded for each test and the results should be
presented in the form of a graph in which the applied normal stress is plotted as
abscissa and the maximum shearing stress is plotted as ordinate to the same
scale. The angle which the resulting straight line makes with the horizontal axis
and the intercept which the straight line makes with the vertical axis shall be
reported as the angle of shearing resistance and cohesion intercept respectively.
NOTE: The normal stress-maximum shear stress relationship may not be a
straight line in all cases. In such cases, the shear parameters may be obtained
by drawing a tangent to the normal stress expected in the field.
4. In the case of the consolidated undrained and consolidated drained tests, the load
at which the specimen is consolidated and the consolidation characteristics as
determined during the consolidation part of the test should also be reported.
7. Observation and Recording
 Project:..................... Location of samples : ........................
Rate of Strain :.............. Bore hole No..... Sample No........
Proving-ring/load cell No. : ........
Calibration curve :........
Load-hanger lever ratio : ...........
Soil Specimen Measurements
Dimensions :................... Area of specimen: .................
Thickness : ................... Volume of specimen:................
initial wet weight of specimen: ......................
Moisture content:................. (Average of ............tests)
Bulk density:................
Final wet weight of the specimen : ................
Moisture content at shear zone : ..................
Consolidation
Hanger load : ............. Applied load : ...................
Normal stress: ...........

Shearing Stage Rate of Shearing .............................. mm/min

Plot Shear normal stress displacement curve and find:

(a) Maximum shear stress and
(b) Corresponding shear displacement
Summary of Results
Plot Shear normal stress displacement curve and find:
(a) Cohesion intercept and
(b) Angle of Shearing resistance
8. General Remarks
1. In the shear box test, the specimen is not failing along its weakest plane but
along a predetermined or induced failure plane i.e. horizontal plane separating
the two halves of the shear box. This is the main drawback of this test. Moreover,
during loading, the state of stress cannot be evaluated. It can be evaluated only
at failure condition i.e. Mohr’s circle can be drawn at the failure condition only.
Also failure is progressive.
 2. Direct shear test is simple and faster to operate. As thinner specimens are used
in shear box, they facilitate drainage of pore water from a saturated sample in
less time. This test is also useful to study friction between two materials, one
material in lower half of box and another material in the upper half of box.
3. The angle of shearing resistance of sands depends on state of compaction,
coarseness of grains, particle shape and roughness of grain surface and grading.
It varies between 28o (uniformly graded sands with round grains in very loose
state) to 46o (well graded sand with angular grains in dense state).
4. The volume change in sandy soil is a complex phenomenon depending on
gradation, particle shape, state and type of packing, orientation of principal
planes, principal stress ratio, stress history, magnitude of minor principal stress,
type of apparatus, test procedure, method of preparing specimen etc. In general
loose sands expand and dense sands contract in volume on shearing. There is a
void ratio at which either expansion contraction in volume takes place. This void
ratio is called critical void ratio. Expansion or contraction can be inferred from the
movement of vertical dial gauge during shearing.
5. The friction between sand particles is due to sliding and rolling friction and
interlocking action. The ultimate values of shear parameter for both loose sand
and dense sand approximately attain the same value so, if angle of friction value
is calculated at ultimate stage, slight disturbance in density during sampling and
preparation of test specimens will not have much effect.
9. Video
 Direct Shear Test
10. Download
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