TITLE: DIRECT SHEAR TESTS OF SOIL.

OBJECTIVE:
o To determine the parameter of shear strength of soil, cohesion, c and angle
of friction, ø.

APPARATUS:
 Soil sample (cohesive or cohesionless)
 Direct shear apparatus
 Proving ring or load cell
 Normal load (weights)
 Dial gauge or displacement sensor
 Shear box (divided into upper and lower halves)
 Sample preparation tools (sieve, balance, etc.)
 Water

METHODOLOGY:
1. First of all, we weighted the initial mass of soil.
2. Assembled the shear box.
3. Then measured the diameter and height of the shear box.
4. Compacted the soil sample in mould after bringing it to optimum moisture
condition.
5. Carefully transfer the sample into shear box.
6. Placed the loading plate on top of the upper porous plate. After recording the
weight of the loading carrier place it is on the loading cap.
7. Positioned all dial gauges and set the readings to zero. Remove the alignment
screws which hold two halves of the shear box together.
8. Tighten the remaining, two diagonally opposite screws, until there was a small gap
between upper and lower boxes to reduce the frictional force.
9. Applied the desired normal load. If there was any vertical displacement, we waited
till the dial gauges indicate a constant reading and then reset the dial gauge to zero.
10. Checked that screws were removed and then turned the machine slowly by hand.
11. Took the readings of,
a) Shear load from the proving ring
b) Shear displacement (i.e. Horizontal displacement)
c) Vertical displacement at every 10 division increment in horizontal dial
gauge
12. Stoped the test when the shear load remains constant for at least three readings.
13. Removed the soil and repeated the procedure with two different normal loads.
DATA SHEET:
1st observation for 14.75 kg load

Dial gauge constant 0.01mm and load constant 0.8N. Plate diameter is 62.5 mm with
area 3067.96 mm2.

Shear Vertical Shear Force

Horizontal Vertical Load Displacement Displacement = Shear
Dial Dial Dial = HDR×Dial = VDR×Dial LDR × Actual Stress
Reading Reading Reading Constant Constant load (KPa)
(HDR) (VDR) (LDR) (mm) (mm) constant (N)
0 0 1 0 0 0.8 0.26076
10 0 55 0.1 0 44 14.34178
20 0 70 0.2 0 56 18.25317
30 0 90 0.3 0 72 23.46836
40 1 92 0.4 0.01 73.6 23.98988
50 1 100 0.5 0.01 80 26.07596
60 1 108 0.6 0.01 86.4 28.16204
70 2 115 0.7 0.02 92 29.98735
80 3 117 0.8 0.03 93.6 30.50887
90 4 120 0.9 0.04 96 31.29115
100 4.5 125 1.0 0.045 100 32.59495
110 5 127 1.1 0.05 101.6 33.11647
120 5.5 136 1.2 0.055 108.8 35.4633
130 6 140 1.3 0.06 112 36.50634
140 7 144 1.4 0.07 115.2 37.54938
150 8 147 1.5 0.08 117.6 38.33166
160 9 148 1.6 0.09 118.4 38.59242
170 9.5 151 1.7 0.095 120.8 39.3747
180 10 153 1.8 0.1 122.4 39.89622
190 10.5 155 1.9 0.105 124 40.41774
200 11 158 2.0 0.11 126.4 41.20002
210 12 160 2.1 0.12 128 41.72153
220 13 161 2.2 0.13 128.8 41.98229
230 14 163 2.3 0.14 130.4 42.50381
240 14.5 164 2.4 0.145 131.2 42.76457
250 15 165 2.5 0.15 132 43.02533
260 15 165 2.6 0.15 132 43.02533
270 15.5 165 2.7 0.155 132 43.02533
280 16 165 2.8 0.16 132 43.02533
290 16.5 166 2.9 0.165 132.8 43.28609
300 17 166 3.0 0.17 132.8 43.28609
310 17 166 3.1 0.17 132.8 43.28609
2nd observation for 24.75 kg load
Dial gauge constant 0.01mm and load constant 0.8N. Plate diameter is 62.5 mm
with area 3067.96 mm2.

Shear Vertical Shear Force

Horizontal Vertical
Load Dial Displacement Displacement = Shear
Dial Dial
Reading = HDR×Dial = VDR×Dial LDR×Actual Stress
Reading Reading
(LDR) Constant Constant load (KPa)
(HDR) (VDR)
(mm) (mm) constant (N)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 -2 100 0.1 -0.02 122.4 39.3
20 -3 153 0.2 -0.03 148 48.26
30 -3 185 0.3 -0.03 169.6 55.3
40 -2 212 0.4 -0.02 185.6 60.52
50 -1 232 0.5 -0.01 200.8 65.48
60 1 251 0.6 0.01 212 69.13
70 3 265 0.7 0.03 224 73.05
80 4 280 0.8 0.04 234.4 76.44
90 4.5 293 0.9 0.045 241.6 78.79
100 5 302 1 0.05 248.8 81.14
110 5.5 311 1.1 0.055 257.8 84.07
120 6 322 1.2 0.06 264 86.09
130 7 330 1.3 0.07 268.8 87.66
140 8 336 1.4 0.08 275.2 89.75
150 9 344 1.5 0.09 280.8 91.57
160 10 351 1.6 0.1 286.4 93.39
170 11 358 1.7 0.11 292 95.23
180 12 365 1.8 0.12 296 96.53
190 12.5 370 1.9 0.125 299.2 97.57
200 13 374 2 0.13 300.8 98.09
210 13.5 376 2.1 0.135 303.2 98.88
220 13.5 383 2.2 0.135 306.4 99.92
230 14 383 2.3 0.14 306.4 99.92
240 14 383 2.4 0.14 306.4 99.92
250 14 383 2.5 0.14 306.4 99.92
260 14 380 2.6 0.14 306.3 99.9
270 15 380 2.7 0.15 306.3 99.9
280 15.5 380 2.8 0.155 306.3 99.9
290 16 380 2.9 0.16 306.3 99.9
300 16 379 3 0.16 306.2 99.88
310 16 379 3.1 0.16 306.2 99.88
320 16 379 3.2 0.16 306.2 99.88
3rd observation for 34.75 kg load

Dial gauge constant 0.01mm and load constant 0.8N. Plate diameter is 62.5 mm
with area 3067.96 mm2
 Shear Vertical Shear Force
Horizontal Vertical Load
Displacement Displacement = Shear
Dial Dial Dial
= HDR×Dial = VDR×Dial LDRActual Stress
Reading Reading Reading
Constant Constant load (KPa)
(HDR) (VDR) (LDR)
(mm) (mm) constant (N)
0 -1 0 0 -0.01 0 0
10 -1.2 29 0.1 -0.012 23.2 7.562028
20 -1.2 74 0.2 -0.012 59.2 19.29621
30 -1 95 0.3 -0.01 76 24.77216
40 -1.2 120 0.4 -0.012 96 31.29115
50 -1.2 156 0.5 -0.012 124.8 40.6785
60 -1.5 156 0.6 -0.015 124.8 40.6785
70 -1.5 178 0.7 -0.015 142.4 46.41521
80 -1.5 225 0.8 -0.015 180 58.67091
90 -1 252 0.9 -0.01 201.6 65.71142
100 0 268 1 0 214.4 69.88357
110 1 273 1.1 0.01 218.4 71.18737
120 2 275 1.2 0.02 220 71.70889
130 3 300 1.3 0.03 240 78.22788
140 4 310 1.4 0.04 248 80.83547
150 5 328 1.5 0.05 262.4 85.52915
160 6 342 1.6 0.06 273.6 89.17978
170 7 358 1.7 0.07 286.4 93.35193
180 8 370 1.8 0.08 296 96.48105
190 9 378 1.9 0.09 302.4 98.56713
200 10 385 2 0.1 308 100.3924
210 11.5 393 2.1 0.115 314.4 102.4785
220 12 398 2.2 0.12 318.4 103.7823
230 13 402 2.3 0.13 321.6 104.8254
240 14 406 2.4 0.14 324.8 105.8684
250 15 410 2.5 0.15 328 106.9114
260 15.5 412 2.6 0.155 329.6 107.433
270 16 413 2.7 0.16 330.4 107.6937
280 16.5 416 2.8 0.165 332.8 108.476
290 17 417 2.9 0.17 333.6 108.7368
300 18 418 3 0.18 334.4 108.9975
310 18 420 3.1 0.18 336 109.519
320 18.5 420 3.2 0.185 336 109.519
CALCULATION:

We are calculating this method for all variation of loading i.e 14.75 kg, 24.75 kg
& 34.75 kg.

As the slope is 1:10

So, 1 kg = 10 kg and the weight of hanger is 4.75 kg.

Therefore, the first loading for 14.75 kg.

Dial gauge constant 0.01 mm

Actual load constant is 0.8 N

Plate diameter is 62.5 mm

∴ Area, A = 4 . × (62.5)2 = 3067.96 mm2

π

Now, Shear displacement = Horizontal dial reading × Dial gauge constant

= 10 × 0.01
= 0.1 mm2
Rest of them are similar for all variation of loading.

Vertical displacement = Vertical dial reading × Dial gauge constant

= 1× 0.01
= 0.01 mm2
Rest of them are similar for all variation of loading.

= 55 × 0.8
Shear force = Load dial reading × Actual load constant

= 44 N

Force 44
Shear Stress, τ = Area = 3067.96 × 1000

= 14.34 KPa
 120
109.52
Peak Strength
100
Peak Strength
Shear Stress (KPa)

80

60

43.28
40
Peak Strength

20

0
-0.05 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25

Vertical Displacement (mm)

Figure: Shear Stress (KPa) vs Vertical Displacement (mm)

120

100

80

60
Shear Stress (KPa)

40

20

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

Shear Displacement (mm)

Figure: Shear Stress (KPa) vs Vertical Displacement (mm)

 120
110 f(x) = 1.03566145254409 x + 2.27965705534416

100
90
80
Shear Stress (KPa)

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120

Normal Stress (KPa)

Figure: Shear Stress (KPa) vs Normal Stress (KPa)

From graph,
y = 1.0357x + 2.2797
Compare to the equation:τ =tan φ σ +C
here,

∴ 𝜑= 46
tan φ = 1.0357
∘

and, C = 2.2796

RESULT:

Peak shear strength 43.28 KPa for 14.75 kg loading

Peak shear strength 99.88 KPa for 24.75 kg loading
Peak shear strength 109.52 KPa for 34.75 kg loading

Angle of internal friction, 𝜑 = 46

∘

Cohesion, C = 2.2796
DISCUSSION:

The angle of internal friction (𝜑= 46°) is higher than typical values for sands
(30°-40°) and aligns with the range for gravel (35°-45°). This suggests that the
soil is likely a granular soil with high frictional resistance, probably a sandy
gravel or gravelly sand.
The cohesion (C = 2.2796 KPa) is low, which is consistent with the expected
cohesion values for granular soils (close to 0 or low for sand and gravel), and
silt and clay soils 20−100 kPa. A low cohesion value suggests the soil is
primarily granular with minimal clay or silt content.
The peak shear strength values obtained at different loadings (43.28 KPa, 99.88
KPa, and 109.52 KPa) show a clear increase in shear strength as normal load
increases. This is typical for granular soils, where the shear strength increases
with applied normal stress due to increased interparticle friction.

CONCLUSION:

The direct shear test results reveal that the soil is dense and granular, with
minimal cohesion (C = 2.279 kPa) and a high angle of internal friction (𝜑=
46°). The results align with standard values for dense sands, making this soil
suitable for structural foundations and high-friction applications. Proper
compaction and drainage should be ensured to maintain stability under varying
conditions.

REFERENCES:

 D653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained Fluids

 D2216 Test Method for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture)
Content of soil and Rock by mass.