Triaxial Test: (GDS Instruments)
Triaxial Test: (GDS Instruments)
Triaxial Test: (GDS Instruments)
(GDS instruments)
◦ Normal stresses are applied in three directions (with 1’> 2’= 3’)
◦ Shear stress is induced in other directions
◦ Shear failure occurs in a certain plane of .
However,
2
1 sin ' cos ' 2 '
'
'
tan 45 Kp
1 sin 1 sin 2
It can be shown that: 2 90 '
'
Inclination of failure plane: 45 ' '
tan 45 2c tan 45
' ' ' 2
2 1 3
2 2
' '
1' 3' tan 2 45 2 c '
tan 45
2 2
Confining stress: 3
◦ Undisturbed samples taken from the field has initial negative pore pressure
◦ No saturation is required
1
qu
f cu
2 2
CIVL2007 Shear Strength - 2 14
Undrained Shear Strength of Clays
Why is it important?
◦ Soft clay is commonly found under construction site.
◦ Loading is usually in undrained condition due to low permeability
of clay.
◦ cu is used for total stress analysis.
◦ In-situ (in-place) shear strength can be altered due to
construction process.
◦ Undrained shear strength of soft clay is usually critical for short
term stability of construction.
Notes:
◦ Carried out in the borehole at depth during site investigation
◦ the most accepted method to determine in-situ undrained shear strength
◦ different sizes and shapes of vanes for different soil and borehole
◦ correction between measured and design value of undrained shear strength
d
M s dh cu
2
d3
M e cu
8
1
2 triangular
2
uniform (usually =2/3)
3
3
5 parabolic
T
cu
d 2h d3
2 4
CIVL2007 Shear Strength - 2 17
Correction of cu from VST
◦ In general, the undrained shear strength is affected by the rate of
shearing. Bjerrum (1974) suggested the correction for the cu
obtained from vane shear test as follows:
Where:
1.7 0.54log PI
o OC o NC
CIVL2007 Shear Strength - 2 20
cu
' 0.11 0.0037 PI
o
0.11 0.0037 28 0.2136
cu 0.2136 160=34.2kPa
cu 0.2136 (160 3.2)=109.4kPa
cu cu
' ' OCR
0.8
o OC o NC
0.22 3.20.8 0.5579
cu 0.5579 160=89.3kPa
Comment: The two empirical equations give very different cu.
In general, the equation based on PI is more conservative than
that based on OCR in which stress history taken into consideration.
Notes on Anisotropy:
◦ Caused by structure of clay particles during deposition (inherent)
◦ Caused by subsequent loading (stress induced)
◦ Casagrande and Carrillo (1994): cu cu 0 cu 90 cu 0 sin 2
CIVL2007 Shear Strength - 2 24