Dr.

Mohamad Yusri

Presented By:
Associate Prof. Dr. Mohamad Yusri Aman
6. SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOIL
1. SHEAR FAILURE
Chapter 6
2. SHEAR STRENGTH
Shear Strength of Soils 3. STRESS, PRINCIPAL STRESS
4. MOHR CIRCLE, MOHR COULOMB CRITERIA
5. TESTINGS TO OBTAIN SHEAR STRENGTH
6. SHEAR STRENGTH IN SAND AND CLAY
7. STRESS PATH

Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering 1

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Dr. Mohamad Yusri

Introduction Shear Failure in Soils

 The shear strength of a soil is the internal
resistance per unit area that the soil mass can Failure due to inadequate
offer to resistance failure and sliding long any strength at shear interface
plane inside it.

 Shear strength = the maximum resistance to

shear; generally expressed
as shear stress ().

Dr. Mohamad Yusri

The shear strength used to analyze: Transcosna Grain Elevator Canada

 Bearing capacity of shallow foundations
(Oct. 18, 1913)
 Stability of natural or madn-made slopes
 Estimate lateral earth pressure for design
of earth retaining structure
 Load carrying capacity of file and drill
shafts

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West side of foundation sank 24-ft

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Bearing Capacity Failure

Dr. Mohamad Yusri

Shear Strength of Soils The function of shear strength

 Cohesion between the soil particles
 Soil derives its shear strength from two  Friction resistance between soild particles
sources:  Moisture content and pore water pressure
– Cohesion between particles (stress in the soil mass
independent component)
• Cementation between sand grains
• Electrostatic attraction between clay particles
– Frictional resistance between particles
(stress dependent component)

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Shear Strength of Soils; Shear Strength of Soils; Internal
Cohesion Friction
• Dry sand with no cementation
• Dry sand with some cementation
• Soft clay
• Stiff clay

Mohr-Coulomb Failure Shear Strength is controlled by

Criterion Effective Stress, '

Shear
Strength,
S
 =  Slope Surface

C Potential Failure
Surface
Normal Stress,  = 

Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criterion

Typical  Values

s  c    tan  
c  cohesion
   angle of internal friction
 '  effective stress

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Effect of Pore Water on Shear Strength Apparent Cohesion
 Pore water pressure  Moist beach sand has apparent cohesion
 Total Stress, versus Effective Stress,  Negative pore water pressures

  u   u
 Shear Strength in terms of effective s  c    tan  
stress
s  c    tan  

Dr. Mohamad Yusri Dr. Mohamad Yusri

STRESS-STRAIN RELATIONSHIP AND MOHR –COULOMB FAILURE CRITERIA

MOHR- COULOMB FAILURE CRITERION
Mohr (1990) presented a theory for rupture in
 Presented a theory for rupture of materials. materials.
 Fail because of a critical combination of normal stress
and shears tress. Theory containing:
Materials fails because of critical combination of normal
 Related between normal stress and shear on a failure stress and shear stress, not form maximum normal or shear
plane. stress alone.
 Shear stress
f = c + tan
usually used in the assessment of slope stability,
designs of embankments, foundations and f = the shear stress on the failure plane
retaining structures, etc. c = cohesion
 = angle of internal friction
 The shear stress-strain
relationship of soils is similar to that of other
engineering materials. 21 22

Dr. Mohamad Yusri

Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criteria Mohr-Coulomb Failure

In saturated soil, total normal stress at a point in sthe Criterion
sum of the effective stress the pore water pressure;

σ = σ’ + u Shear
Rewrite: Strength,
f = c’ + (σ – u) tan S
 = 
= c’ + σ’ tan
tf = the shear stress on the failure plane
u = pore water pressure C
c’ = effective stress cohesion
 = effective angle of friction Normal Stress,  = 

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 Dr. Mohamad Yusri Dr. Mohamad Yusri

– At small strains, the

COULOMB’S LAW FOR SIMPLE MODEL OF  relationship is linear and elastic.
SHEAR STRENGTH Yield point- peak
– As yielding occurs- strain
Coulomb’s frictional law: increases and a peak shear
stress is reached (failure).

f = (n’)f tan’ – The curve then drops

ultimate significantly (reduction of stress)-
reaches ultimate shear stress.
f = the shear stress when slip is initiated residual
– The shear stress reduces
gradually with increasing strain-
(n’)f = the normal effective stress on the plane approaches residual stress.
where slip is initiated 

’ = the effective friction angle Figure Stress-strain relationship of soils.

25 26

Dr. Mohamad Yusri Dr. Mohamad Yusri

 The shear failure of soils can be modelled

using Coulomb’s frictional law (Figure 6.4):

 f = (n’)f tan (’  ), where  is the

dilation angle.

• Dilation causes an increase in the shear

strength of the soil- results in the curving of
the Coulomb’s failure envelope.

• Large normal effective stresses- suppress

dilation.

• At the critical state- dilation angle,  = 0.

Figure Coulomb’s failure envelope.
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Dr. Mohamad Yusri Dr. Mohamad Yusri

 For cemented soils (e.g. clays), Coulomb’s
equation is expressed as:
 f = co + (n’)f tan (’  ),
 where: co is the cohesion.
 Coulomb’s equation also requires one to
know the friction angle, ’, and normal
effective stress, (n’)f, on the slip plane.
 Both these parameters are not readily known
for soils as soils are subjected to a variety of
stresses.

 However, Coulomb’s equation provides only  Mohr’s circle, on the other hand, can be used
information on the soil shear strength when to determine the stresses within a soil mass.
slip is initiated.
 The strains at which the slip (soil failure)  Therefore, a generalised failure criterion can
occurs is not given. be derived by combining Coulomb’s frictional
law (to determine the stresses) with Mohr’s
circle (to obtain the stress states).
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 Dr. Mohamad Yusri Dr. Mohamad Yusri

Table: Relationship between Relative Density and

Angle of Friction of Cohesionless Soils

Figure: Mohr’s failure envelope and the Mohr-Coulomb

failure criteria
31 32

Dr. Mohamad Yusri Dr. Mohamad Yusri

Related between normal stress and shear on a failure

plane. PRINCIPAL STRESSES
 Principal plane = a plane acted on by a normal
  ult  stress (perpendicular to the
 'ult  tan 1  ' 
 
plane); the stress is called a
principal stress.

 Any stress may be equated to a principal

Ƭf = Shear stress on the stress (N) and a shear stress ().
failure plane
f(σ) = Normal stress on
the failure plane

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Dr. Mohamad Yusri Dr. Mohamad Yusri

Similarly, an element of soil (in a soil mass) has

N several principal stresses acting on it (see Figure
6.3):
P
1 1= Major
principal
element of soil 2 stress
= 
 3
3=Minor
+ principal
1 stress
soil mass
 y
x
z
Figure 6.2 Principal and shear stresses. Figure: Principal and shear stresses acting on
an element of soil.
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 Inclination of the Plane of Failure Caused by Shear
Example-1;
The shear strength of a normally consolidated clay can be given
by the equation Ƭf = σʹ tan 31°. A consolidated-undrained,
triaxial test was conducted on the clay. Following are the results
of the test:

Chamber confining pressure = 112 kN/m2

Deviator stress at failure = 100 kN/m2

a) Determine the consolidated-undrained friction angle,Φ.

b) What is the pore water pressure developed in the clay
specimen at failure?
c) What would have been the deviator stress at failure if a
drained test had been conducted with the same chamber
confining pressure (that is σ3 = 112 kN/m2)?
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Answer;
c.

Example-2; LABORATORY DETERMINATION OF

A sand soil has a drained
SHEAR STRENGTH PARAMETERS

angle of friction of 36º. In Laboratory
drained triaxial test on the element of  1

same soil, the deviator soil   Direct shear test

2
 
stress at failure is 268  Unconfined compression test
3
kN/m2. 1
soil  Triaxial compression test
y
What is the chamber mass
confining pressure? x
z
Field
 Vane shear test
Answer:

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Direct Shear Test Direct Shear Test
ASTM D-3080; AASHTO T 236

Direct Shear
Direct Shear Test Test Device

Direct Shear Test Device Direct Shear Test Data

Shear stress

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 Direct Shear Test Data Peak vs. Ultimate Strength
Volume change

Example: Direct Shear Test Answer

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Given:
A direct shear test conducted on a soil
Max. Shear Stress (psi

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sample yielded the following results:

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Normal Stress,  (psi) Max. Shear Stress, S (psi)
5
10.0 6.5
25.0 11.0
0
40.0 17.5 0 10 20 30 40 50
Normal Stress (psi) c  2.5 psi
Required: ( 20  2.5)
tan     0.365
Determine shear strength parameters of the 48
soil    tan 1 (0.365)  20

Drained versus Undrained Drained versus Undrained

Conditions …. Conditions ….

Before loading After loading Before loading After loading

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 Soil Shear Strength under Drained and Soil Shear Strength under Drained
Undrained Conditions …. and Undrained Conditions ….

 Drained conditions occur when rate at
which loads are applied are slow
compared to rates at which soil material
can drain
 Sands drain fast; therefore under most
loading conditions drained conditions
exist in sands
 Exceptions: pile driving, earthquake
loading in fine sands
 In clays, drainage does not occur quickly;
therefore excess pore water pressure
does not dissipate quickly
 Therefore, in clays the short-term shear
strength may correspond to undrained
conditions
 Even in clays, long-term shear strength is
estimated assuming drained conditions

Shear Strength in terms of Total Stress Long-term Stability

 Shear Strength in terms of effective

stress
  u u at hydrostatic value

s  c    tan  
Slope Surface

Shear strength in terms of total stress

Potential Failure
Surface

s  c   tan 

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 Shear Strength in terms of Total Stress;
Short-term Stability  = 0 condition

 Shear strength in terms of total stress

s  c   tan 
Slope Surface

 For cohesive soils under saturated

conditions,  = 0.
Potential Failure
Surface
su  c

Mohr-Coulomb Failure Mohr’s Circles

Criterion
1
Shear
Strength,
S
=0
3=0

C
Direct Shear
Normal Stress, 
Uniaxial
Compression

Mohr’s Circles Mohr’s Circles

1  Max. shear
plane 1

Horiz. plane

3=0  3=0
1

Uniaxial Uniaxial
Compression Compression

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Unconfined Compression Test
ASTM D-2166; AASHTO 208

1
 For clay soils
 Cylindrical Test
specimen
 No confining stress 3 = 0
(i.e. 3 = 0)
 Axial stress = 1

Unconfined Compression Test Triaxial Compression Test

Data
l

l0
A0
Ac 
1   
P

Ac

qu  Unconfined Compression Strength

qu
Su  Undrained Shear Strngth 
2

Triaxial Compression Test Triaxial Compression Test

 Unconfined compression
test is used when  = 0 1
assumption is valid
 Triaxial compression is a
more generalized version 3
 Sample is first compressed
isotropically and then
sheared by axial loading

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 Types of triaxial test
Triaxial Compression Test There are many test variations. Those used most in practice are:

1  UU (unconsolidated undrained) test.

Cell pressure applied without allowing drainage. Then keeping
cell pressure constant increase deviator load to failure without
3 drainage.

3  CIU (isotropically consolidated undrained) test.

Drainage allowed during cell pressure application. Then
without allowing further drainage increase q keeping r
constant as for UU test.
 Load applied in 2 stages
 CID (isotropically consolidated drained) test
– confining pressure, 3
Similar to CIU except that as deviator stress is increased
– dev. stress,  = 1 - 3 drainage is permitted.

Triaxial Compression Tests Triaxial Compression Test for

Undisturbed Soils
 Unconsolidated Undrained (UU-Test);
Also called “Undrained” Test

 Consolidated Undrained Test (CU- Test) s  c   tan 

 Consolidated Drained (CD-Test); Also

called “Drained Test”

Drainage during Triaxial

Triaxial Compression Tests
Compression Test
ASTM Standards
 ASTM D2850: Unconsolidated
Undrained Triaxial Test for
Cohesive Soils
 ASTM D4767: Consolidated
Undrained Triaxial Test for
Cohesive Soils

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 Triaxial Compression Tests Consolidated Undrained Triaxial
AASHTO Standards Test for Undisturbed Soils
 AASHTO T-296: Unconsolidated
Undrained Triaxial Test for
Cohesive Soils
 AASHTO T-297 : Consolidated
Undrained Triaxial Test for
Cohesive Soils

Advantages of the triaxial test Typical triaxial results

 Specimens are subjected to (approximately) uniform q
stresses and strains
Increasing cell
pressure
 The complete stress-strain-strength behaviour can
be investigated

 Drained and undrained tests can be performed

 Pore water pressures can be measured in undrained

tests, allowing effective stresses to be determined
a

 Different combinations of cell pressure and axial

stress can be applied

Mohr Circles Mohr Circles

To relate strengths from different tests we need to use some results To relate strengths from different tests we need to use some results
from the Mohr circle transformation of stress. from the Mohr circle transformation of stress.

 
  c   tan 

 c 
3 1 3 1

The Mohr-Coulomb failure locus is tangent to the Mohr

circles at failure

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 Mohr Circles Mohr-Coulomb criterion (Principal stresses)


(

 2   c 
3 1 3 1
c cot  p
Failure occurs if a Mohr circle touches the failure criterion. Then
From the Mohr Circle geometry R = sin  ( p + c cot 
( 1   3 ) ( 1   3 )
   cos 2
2 2
( 1   3 )
  sin 2
2
 
    
4 2

Dr. Mohamad Yusri Dr. Mohamad Yusri

One of the most important keys to Success is

having the discipline
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EVEN
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