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in an undisturbed condition, using a straincontrolled application of the axial compression-test load where the specimen is subjected to a confining fluid pressure in a triaxial chamber. Triaxial Compression Testthe triaxial compression test a test in which a cylindrical specimen of soil or rock encased in an impervious membrane is subjected to a confining pressure and then loaded axially to failure in compression. Direct Shear Test The direct shear test is one of the oldest strength tests for soils. This test is performed to determine the consolidated-drained shear strength of a sandy to silty soil. The shear strength is one of the most important engineering properties of a soil, because it is required whenever a structure is dependent on the soils shearing resistance. The shear strength is needed for engineering situations such as determining the stability of slopes or cuts, finding the bearing capacity for foundations, and calculating the pressure exerted by a soil on a retaining wall. Unconfined Compression Test Unconfined Compression Test (UCT) is a simple laboratory testing method to assess the mechanical properties of rocks and fine-grained soils. It provides a measures of the undrained strength and the stress-strain characteristics of the rock or soil. The unconfined compression test is often included in the laboratory testing program of geotechnical investigations, specially when dealing with rocks. The primary purpose of the Unconfined Compression Test is to quickly determine a measure of the unconfined compressive strength of rocks or fine-grained soils that possess sufficient cohesion to permit testing in the unconfined state. This measure is then used to calculate the unconsolidated undrained shear strength of the clay under unconfined conditions. In general, The UCT can be conducted on rock samples or on undisturbed, reconstituted or compacted cohesive soil samples. Consolidation Test Consolidation is defined as the reduction of the volume of a soil due to the expulsion of water. This will be accompanied by the dissipation of pore water pressures. A laboratory consolidation test is performed on an undisturbed sample of a cohesive soil to determine its compressibility characteristics. The soil sample is assumed to be representing a soil layer in the ground. Moisture Content Test This method covers the laboratory determination of the moisture content of a soil as a percentage of its oven-dried weight. The method may be applied to fine, medium and coarse grained soils for particle sizes from 2 mm to >10 mm.