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Embankment
Strip footing
Failure surface
Mobilized shear
resistance
Retaining
wall
Shear failure of soils
Soils generally fail in shear
Mobilized
Retaining
shear
wall
resistance
Failure
surface
failure surface
No crushing of
individual grains.
Shear failure mechanism
f c tan
el ope
re env
failu
Friction angle
Cohesion
f
c
’
’3 ’3
Soil element
’1
1' 3'
Sin2 ' 2
' 2
'
2 '
'
2 1 3
1 3
2
' ' ' '
' 1 3 1 3 Cos 2 2
2 2
Mohr Circle of stress
’1
’
’3 ’3
Soil element
’1
' 2 ' 2
'
'
' 1' 3'
2 1 3
1 3
2
2 2
’
3' 1' 3' 1'
2
Mohr Circle of stress
’1
’
’3 ’3
Soil element
’1
’,
' 2 ' 2
'
'
' 1' 3'
2 1 3
1 3
2
2 2
’
3' 1' 3' 1'
2
Failure surface f c' ' tan '
Y
Y
X X
’
Soil elements at different locations
Y ~ stable
X ~ failure
Mohr Circles & Failure Envelope
The soil element does not fail if
the Mohr circle is contained
within the envelope
GL
c
Y c
c c+
Initially, Mohr circle is a point
Mohr Circles & Failure Envelope
As loading progresses, Mohr
circle becomes larger…
GL
c
Y c
c
’
3' 1' 3' 1' ’
2
Therefore,
45 + ’/2
–’ =
Mohr circles in terms of total & effective stresses
v v’ u
h h ’
= +
u
X X X
effective stresses
total stresses
h ’ v’ h v or’
u
Failure envelopes in terms of total & effective
stresses
v v’ u
h h ’
= +
u
X X X
c’ c
h ’ v’ h v or’
u
Mohr Coulomb failure criterion with Mohr circle
of stress
’v = ’1 Failure envelope in terms
of effective stresses
’h = ’3
X
effective stresses
’’
’ c’
X is on failure ’3 ’1 ’
c’ Cot’ ’’
Therefore,
1' 3' 1' 3'
c' Cot ' Sin '
2 2
Mohr Coulomb failure criterion with Mohr circle
of stress
1' 3' 1' 3'
c' Cot ' Sin '
2 2
'
1
3' 1' 3' Sin '2c' Cos '
1 Sin ' 1 Sin ' 2c' Cos '
'
1
'
3
' ' 1 Sin ' 2c' Cos '
1 3
1 Sin ' 1 Sin '
' '
Tan 45 2c' Tan 45
'
1
'
3
2
2 2
Determination of shear strength parameters of
soils (c, orc’’
A representative
soil sample
z z
vc vc +
vc vc +
Failure plane
O-ring
impervious
membrane
Soil sample Soil
at failure sample
Porous
Perspex stone
cell
Water
Cell pressure
Back pressure Pore pressure or
pedestal volume change
Triaxial Shear Test
Specimen preparation (undisturbed sample)
Sampling tubes
Sample extruder
Triaxial Shear Test
Specimen preparation (undisturbed sample)
Sample is covered
with a rubber Cell is completely
membrane and sealed filled with water
Triaxial Shear Test
Specimen preparation (undisturbed sample)
Proving ring to
measure the
deviator load
Dial gauge to
measure vertical
displacement
Types of Triaxial Tests deviatoric stress
( = q)
Step 1
c Step 2
c c
c c
c c+ q
Under all-around cell pressure c Shearing (loading)
yes no yes no
CD test UU test
CU test
Consolidated- drained test (CD Test)
Total, = Neutral, u + Effective, ’
Step 1: At the end of consolidation
VC ’VC = VC
Step 3: At failure
VC + f ’Vf = VC + f=’1f
1 = VC +
3 = hC
Expansion
Volume change of the
Time
sample
Compression
Consolidated- drained test (CD Test)
Stress-strain relationship during shearing
Dense sand
or OC clay
d
d)f
Loose sand
Deviator
d)f or NC Clay
stress,
Axial strain
Expansion
Volume change
Dense sand
of the sample
or OC clay
Axial strain
Compression
Loose sand
or NC clay
CD tests How to determine strength parameters c and
d)fc
1 = 3 + (d)f
Confining stress = 3b
Confining stress = 3a 3
Deviator
d)fb
stress,
d)fa
Axial strain
Mohr – Coulomb
failure envelope
stress,
Shear
3a 3b 3c 1a 1b 1c
o
’
(d)fa
(d)fb
CD tests
Strength parameters c and obtained from CD tests
Since u = 0 in CD Therefore, c = c’
tests, = ’ and = ’
d
Mohr – Coulomb
failure envelope
stress,
Shear
3a 1a
o
’
(d)fa
For OC Clay, cd ≠ 0
OC NC
c r
3 1 c
o
(d)f ’
Some practical applications of CD analysis for
clays
1. Embankment constructed very slowly, in layers over a soft clay
deposit
Soft clay
Core
No
drainage hC ±u ’h = hC ±u =’3
Step 3: At failure
VC + f ’Vf = VC + f±uf =’1f
No
drainage hC ±uf ’hf = hC ±uf =’3f
Consolidated- Undrained test (CU Test)
Volume change of sample during consolidation
Expansion
Volume change of the
Time
sample
Compression
Consolidated- Undrained test (CU Test)
Stress-strain relationship during shearing
Dense sand
or OC clay
d
d)f
Loose sand
Deviator
d)f or NC Clay
stress,
Axial strain
+
Loose
sand /NC
Clay
u
Axial strain
Dense sand
-
or OC clay
CU tests How to determine strength parameters c and
d)fb 1 = 3 + (d)f
Confining stress = 3b
d
Confining stress = 3a
3
Deviator
stress,
d)fa
Total stresses at failure
Axial strain
ccu r
3a 3b 1a 1b
o
(d)fa ’
CU tests How to determine strength parameters c and
’1 = 3 + (d)f - uf
’=3 - uf
Mohr – Coulomb failure uf
envelope in terms of
effective stresses Effective stresses at failure
Mohr – Coulomb ’
failure envelope in
terms of total stresses
cu
stress,
Shear
ufb
C’ ’3b ufa
ccu ’1b r
’3a 3a 3b ’1a 1a 1b
o
(d)fa
’
CU tests
Strength parameters c and obtained from CD tests
Shear strength
Shear strength parameters in terms
parameters in terms of effective stresses
of total stresses are are c’ and ’
ccu and cu
c’ = cd and ’ = d
CU tests Failure envelopes
For sand and NC Clay, ccu and c’ = 0
Mohr – Coulomb failure
envelope in terms of
effective stresses
3a 3a 1a 1a
o
’
(d)fa
Soft clay
Core
A × H = A0 × H 0
A0
A ×(H0 – H) = A0 × H0 A
A ×(1 – H/H0) = A0
1 z
Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
Step 1: Immediately after sampling
0
uc = B 3
Increase of cell pressure
Increase of pwp due to
increase of cell pressure
Skempton’s pore water
pressure parameter, B
Note: If soil is fully saturated, then B = 1 (hence, uc = 3)
Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
uc ± ud
ud = Ad
Increase of pwp due to Increase of deviator
increase of deviator stress stress
Skempton’s pore water
pressure parameter, A
Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
u = uc + ud
u = B 3 + Ad
Skempton’s pore
u = B 3 + A(1 – 3) water pressure
equation
Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
Total, = Neutral, u + Effective, ’
Step 1: Immediately after sampling ’V0 = ur
0
0 -ur ’h0 = ur
Therefore, we get only one Mohr circle in terms of effective stress for
different cell pressures
’
’3 f ’1
Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
Total, = Neutral, u + Effective, ’
Step 3: At failure ’Vf = C + f+ ur - c uf = ’1f
C + f
No
drainage C ’hf = C + ur - c u f
-urc ± uf
= ’3f
Failure envelope, u = 0
cu
ub ua
3a
’
3b3 f
’1a
1b
1 or ’
Unconsolidated- Undrained test (UU Test)
Soft clay
Core
1 = VC +
3 = 0
1 = VC + f
Shear stress,
3 = 0
qu
Normal stress,
τf = σ1/2 = qu/2 = cu