Shear Strength of Soils

Soil Mechanics
Shear Strength of Soils
Dr. Mona Afifi

May, 2021
Shear Strength of Soils
Normal and Shear Stress on a Plane
Normal and Shear Stress in a Soil Mass
Mohr Circle Presentation
+ve for a and b planes

compression
Anti clock
(σ1 +σ3)/2
σ3 (σ1-σ3)/2
Center of circle =( (σ1 +σ3)/2,0)
Radius of circle =( σ1 - σ3)/2

Mohr Circle (Pole Method)
Steps to draw Mohr Circle (Pole Method)
1- draw points a and b
2- connect ab to intersect with horizontal axis to get center (o)
3- draw Mohr circle with radius “oa” or “ob”
4- determine σ1 , σ3 (on hor. Axis) major and minor principle stresses
5- determine τmax , τmin

3-draw vertical line passing through a
4- draw horizontal line passing through b
5- horizontal and vertical lines in steps 3and4 intersects to get pole.
6- join pole with each point of σ1 , σ3 , τmax , τmin

7- determine each angle for inclination of lines in step 6 with horizontal line passing through
pole (take into consideration the sign rule in the next slide).
sign rule
Solved Example
Solved Example +ve for a and b
Anti clock compression
τmax
1
1 1- draw points a and b
2- connect ab to intersect with horizontal axis
to get center (o)
3- draw Mohr circle with radius “oa” or “ob”
σ3 1σ1 4- determine σ1 , σ3 (on hor. Axis) major and
1 minor principle stresses
5- determine τmax , τmin
3-draw vertical line passing through a
4- draw horizontal line passing through b
1 5- horizontal and vertical lines in steps 3and4
τmin
1 intersects to get pole.
6- join pole with each point of σ1 , σ3 , τmax ,
τmin
7- determine each angle of step 6
Solved Example
Solved Example
Shear Failure in Soil
 Shear failure will occur at points where shear stresses (τ) exceeds soil’s
shear strength (τf).
 The engineer needs to know the nature of shearing resistance in the soil
mass to analyse problems such as:
Bearing capacity of foundations;
Stability of slopes
Lateral pressure on retaining walls
Shear Failure in Soil
Shear Failure Mechanism
1) Local failure takes place at points where shear stresses (τ) > shear strength (τf).
2) When local failure occurs at sufficiently large number of points within the soil
mass, a general failure takes place.
3) Failure takes the form of sliding of a soil block over a Failure(Sliding-Slip) surface
within the soil mass.
4) To study shear failure at a point, we need to calculate:
a) Stresses (τ , σ) on any plane through this point;
b) Shear resistance (τf) at this point
The Moher-Coulomb Failure Criterion
Since the shear stresses in a soil mass can be resisted by the skeleton of the solid
particles, the shear strength is expressed as a function of effective normal stress as fol-
lows:
Factors Affecting Shear Strength of Soil
Factors Affecting Shear Strength of Soil
For coarse grained soils, (τf) depends on friction and interlocking between particles (φ’):
Determination of Shear Strength Parameters
Shear Strength Tests (Direct Shear Test)
Direct Shear Test
Direct Shear Test Procedure
Direct Shear Test Analysis
Loose Sand
Dense Sand
Direct Shear Test Analysis
Remarks on Direct Shear Test
Although the test is simple and very cheap (inexpensive) but there are some
disadvantages that can be summarized as:
Remarks on Direct Shear Test

Only for drained conditions.
Failure plane forced to occur at joint in shear box.
Non-uniform distribution of stress and strain.
No stress strain data.
Area of shear surface changes as test progresses
Example
pole
Ɵ1
Ɵ2
41
Shear Strength Tests (Triaxial Compression Shear Test)
Triaxial Compression Shear Test
• Phases Triaxial Tests
Step 1 Step 2
Under confining pressure c Shearing (loading)
deviator stress ( = q)

c
c c
c c
 c+ q
c
19
• Types of Triaxial Tests
Unconsolidated sample
Under confining pressure c Shearing (loading)
Does the drainage valve open? Does the drainage valve open?
yes No yes No
Consolidated sample Drained Undrained
Unconsolidated sam-
ple loading loading
CD test UU test
CU test
20
Triaxial Compression Shear Test (Mohr Circle)
Consolidated – Drained (CD) Test
Consolidated – Undrained (CU) Test
Consolidated – Undrained (CU) Test
Unconsolidated – Undrained (UU) Test
Unconsolidated – Undrained (UU) Test
3- Unconfined Compression Test
Unconfined Compression Test
Field Tests
1.
22
2.
3. Standard penetration test (S.P.T)
• Friction Angle (Ф) from S.P.T
According to the Egyptian Code of Soil Mechanics and Foundations, Part 3, (2001).
N-value per 30cm Angle of internal friction (Ø) in degrees

0-4 27-30
4-10 30-32
10-30 32-36
30-50 36-40
>50 >40
Peck, Hanson and Thornburn
(1974)
Friction angle,(Ø) degrees De Mello (1971)

28 33 38 43 48
0
10
20
Depth (m)
30
40
50
60
70
80
Thank you

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Soil Mechanics

Shear Strength of Soils

Dr. Mona Afifi

+ve for a and b planes

Center of circle =( (σ1 +σ3)/2,0)

Radius of circle =( σ1 - σ3)/2

5- determine τmax , τmin

6- join pole with each point of σ1 , σ3 , τmax , τmin

Remarks on Direct Shear Test

Under confining pressure c Shearing (loading)

deviator stress ( = q)

N-value per 30cm Angle of internal friction (Ø) in degrees

Friction angle,(Ø) degrees De Mello (1971)

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