Elements of Soil Mechanics, 8th Edition

Example 3.4

This spreadsheet is used to solve Example 3.4

Although the worksheets contain the data for Example 3.4 from the book,
be changed so that the reader can see the effect of varying the cell pressu
axial load at failure etc.
Select the Data worksheet to enter data and view results.
Ian Smith, Sept 2005

for Example 3.4 from the book, the data may

e effect of varying the cell pressure, additional

nd view results.

Triaxial test

Sample properties:

Test results:

Length =
Diameter =
Vertical deformation =

76
38
5

Vol of sample =
CSA at failure =

mm
mm
mm

Test 1
Test 2
Test 3

3
86,193 mm
2
1,214 mm

Cell pressure Deviator stress Major Princ.stress

(kPa)
(kPa)
(kPa)
s3
(s1 - s3)
s1
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3

200
400
600

Cohesion =
phi =

281.7
319.6
383.0

481.7
719.6
983.0

97 kPa
6.9

Cell pressure
(kPa)
s3
200
400
600

Additional axial load

at failure (N)
342
388
465

278.9

281.7

284.5

287.3

290.1

293.0

295.8

298.6

301.4

304.2

307.1

309.9

312.7

315.5

318.3

321.1

324.0

326.8

329.6

332.4

335.2

338.0

340.9

343.7

346.5

349.3

352.1

354.9

357.8

360.6

363.4

366.2

369.0

371.8

374.7

377.5

380.3

383.1

385.9

388.8

391.6

394.4

397.2

400.0

402.8

405.7

408.5

411.3

414.1

416.9

419.7

422.6

425.4

428.2

431.0

433.8

436.6

439.5

442.3

445.1

447.9

450.7

453.5

456.4

459.2

462.0

464.8

467.6

470.4

473.3

476.1

478.9

481.7

Mohr Circle data

1st circle
x

2nd circle
y

200.0

0.0

202.8

28.0

205.6
208.5

3rd circle
y

400.0

0.0

600.0

0.0

403.2

31.8

603.8

38.1

39.4

406.4

44.7

607.7

53.6

48.1

409.6

54.5

611.5

65.3

211.3

55.2

412.8

62.6

615.3

75.1

214.1

61.4

416.0

69.7

619.2

83.5

216.9

66.9

419.2

75.9

623.0

91.0

219.7

71.9

422.4

81.5

626.8

97.7

222.5

76.4

425.6

86.7

630.6

103.9

225.4

80.6

428.8

91.5

634.5

109.6

228.2

84.5

432.0

95.9

638.3

114.9

231.0

88.1

435.2

100.0

642.1

119.8

233.8

91.5

438.4

103.9

646.0

124.5

236.6

94.7

441.5

107.5

649.8

128.8

239.4

97.8

444.7

110.9

653.6

132.9

242.3

100.6

447.9

114.1

657.5

136.8

245.1

103.3

451.1

117.2

661.3

140.4

247.9

105.8

454.3

120.1

665.1

143.9

250.7

108.2

457.5

122.8

668.9

147.2

253.5

110.5

460.7

125.4

672.8

150.3

256.3

112.7

463.9

127.8

676.6

153.2

259.2

114.7

467.1

130.2

680.4

156.0

262.0

116.7

470.3

132.4

684.3

158.7

264.8

118.6

473.5

134.5

688.1

161.2

267.6

120.3

476.7

136.5

691.9

163.6

270.4

122.0

479.9

138.4

695.8

165.9

273.2

123.6

483.1

140.2

699.6

168.0

276.1

125.1

486.3

141.9

703.4

170.1

278.9

126.5

489.5

143.5

707.3

172.0

281.7

127.8

492.7

145.0

711.1

173.8

284.5

129.1

495.9

146.5

714.9

175.5

287.3

130.3

499.1

147.8

718.7

177.2

290.1

131.4

502.3

149.1

722.6

178.7

293.0

132.5

505.5

150.3

726.4

180.1

295.8

133.5

508.7

151.4

730.2

181.4

298.6

134.4

511.9

152.4

734.1

182.7

301.4

135.2

515.1

153.4

737.9

183.9

304.2

136.0

518.3

154.3

741.7

184.9

307.1

136.7

521.5

155.1

745.6

185.9

309.9

137.4

524.6

155.9

749.4

186.8

312.7

138.0

527.8

156.6

753.2

187.6

315.5

138.6

531.0

157.2

757.0

188.4

318.3

139.0

534.2

157.7

760.9

189.1

321.1

139.5

537.4

158.2

764.7

189.6

324.0

139.8

540.6

158.6

768.5

190.1

326.8

140.2

543.8

159.0

772.4

190.6

329.6

140.4

547.0

159.3

776.2

190.9

332.4

140.6

550.2

159.5

780.0

191.2

335.2

140.7

553.4

159.7

783.9

191.4

338.0

140.8

556.6

159.8

787.7

191.5

340.9

140.9

559.8

159.8

791.5

191.5

343.7

140.8

563.0

159.8

795.3

191.5

346.5

140.7

566.2

159.7

799.2

191.4

349.3

140.6

569.4

159.5

803.0

191.2

352.1

140.4

572.6

159.3

806.8

190.9

354.9

140.2

575.8

159.0

810.7

190.6

357.8

139.8

579.0

158.6

814.5

190.1

360.6

139.5

582.2

158.2

818.3

189.6

363.4

139.0

585.4

157.7

822.2

189.1

366.2

138.6

588.6

157.2

826.0

188.4

369.0

138.0

591.8

156.6

829.8

187.6

371.8

137.4

595.0

155.9

833.7

186.8

374.7

136.7

598.2

155.1

837.5

185.9

377.5

136.0

601.4

154.3

841.3

184.9

380.3

135.2

604.5

153.4

845.1

183.9

383.1

134.4

607.7

152.4

849.0

182.7

385.9

133.5

610.9

151.4

852.8

181.4

388.8

132.5

614.1

150.3

856.6

180.1

391.6

131.4

617.3

149.1

860.5

178.7

394.4

130.3

620.5

147.8

864.3

177.2

397.2

129.1

623.7

146.5

868.1

175.5

400.0

127.8

626.9

145.0

872.0

173.8

402.8

126.5

630.1

143.5

875.8

172.0

405.7

125.1

633.3

141.9

879.6

170.1

408.5

123.6

636.5

140.2

883.4

168.0

411.3

122.0

639.7

138.4

887.3

165.9

414.1

120.3

642.9

136.5

891.1

163.6

416.9

118.6

646.1

134.5

894.9

161.2

419.7

116.7

649.3

132.4

898.8

158.7

422.6

114.7

652.5

130.2

902.6

156.0

425.4

112.7

655.7

127.8

906.4

153.2

428.2

110.5

658.9

125.4

910.3

150.3

431.0

108.2

662.1

122.8

914.1

147.2

433.8

105.8

665.3

120.1

917.9

143.9

436.6

103.3

668.5

117.2

921.8

140.4

439.5

100.6

671.7

114.1

925.6

136.8

442.3

97.8

674.9

110.9

929.4

132.9

445.1

94.7

678.1

107.5

933.2

128.8

447.9

91.5

681.3

103.9

937.1

124.5

450.7

88.1

684.5

100.0

940.9

119.8

453.5

84.5

687.6

95.9

944.7

114.9

456.4

80.6

690.8

91.5

948.6

109.6

459.2

76.4

694.0

86.7

952.4

103.9

462.0

71.9

697.2

81.5

956.2

97.7

464.8

66.9

700.4

75.9

960.1

91.0

467.6

61.4

703.6

69.7

963.9

83.5

470.4

55.2

706.8

62.6

967.7

75.1

473.3

48.1

710.0

54.5

971.5

65.3

476.1

39.4

713.2

44.7

975.4

53.6

478.9

28.0

716.4

31.8

979.2

38.1

481.7

0.0

719.6

0.0

983.0

0.0

sav

radius

340.9

140.9

96343.5

559.8

159.8

287843.7

791.5

191.5

589822.2

circle 1
mradius

mtangent

-5.46

circle 2
cohesion

mradius

mtangent

0.18

80.74

-5.46

0.18

cohesion
59.90

-6.15

0.16

87.29

-6.16

0.16

71.02

-7.05

0.14

93.89

-7.06

0.14

82.13

-8.27

0.12

100.68

-8.26

0.12

93.20

-9.94

0.10

107.29

-9.94

0.10

104.28

-12.42

0.08

113.88

-12.45

0.08

115.34

-16.54

0.06

120.51

-16.61

0.06

126.40

-24.68

0.04

127.17

-24.95

0.04

137.50

-48.55

0.02

133.87

-49.94

0.02

148.63

140.86

159.80

circle 3

select best common tangent

mradius

mtangent

cohesion

-5.46

0.18

49.76

-6.18

0.16

65.93

9999

-7.07

0.14

81.54

12.3495869

-8.27

0.12

97.15

3.52872145

-9.98

0.10

113.16

5.87078084

-12.48

0.08

128.70

14.8145775

x1

y1

x2

y2

97.01

922.243493

208.59155

9999

-16.63

0.06

144.26

23.7483226

-25.18

0.04

160.24

9999

-50.39

0.02

175.85

9999

191.52

9999

min: 3.52872145

For Plot:
x1
y1
x2
y2
x3
y3
x4
y4
x5
y5
x6
y6
x7
y7
x8
y8
x9
y9
x 10
y 10

0 922.2435
97.01 208.5915

gent
cohesion

phi

1
2
3
4
5
6

97.01 6.8986253

7
8
9
10
97

6.9

kPa

degrees

NB: You may have to adjust the scales on the x and y axes on the Mohr Circle plot to get it to "look right"

700.0

600.0

shear stress (kPa)

500.0

400.0

300.0

200.0

100.0

0.0
0.0

200.0

400.0

600.0
normal stress (kPa)

800.0

1000.0

1200.0

This spreadsheet has been downloaded from the website that supports
Smith's Elements of Soil Mechanics, 8th Edition
Published by Blackwell Publishing, May 2006
ISBN: 1-4051-3370-8
Visit the website:
http://sbe.napier.ac.uk/esm

Purchase the book:

(Blackwell Publishing website)

Please note:
This spreadsheet is an aid for learning and should really only be
used in conjunction with the relevant section in the book.
It is not intended for use in geotechnical design.
Ian Smith, May 2006

http://sbe.napier.ac.uk/esm