DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, GIT, GU

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING II

ASSIGNMENT I, Numerical Problems On Shear Strength of Soils (2014-15)

SUBJECT TEACHER (3/4A : Prof. Y S Prabhakar)

1. The following results were obtained in the case of sandy clay

tested in a shear box apparatus. The cross section of the
specimen is 6 cm x 6 cm.
S. No
Normal Load
Shear force at failure
1.
30 Kg
25Kg
2.
60 Kg
35 Kg
3.
120 Kg
55 Kg
Calculate the Shear Parameters C, of the Soil.
2. Samples of compacted dry sand are tested in a shear box
6cm x 6cm and the following results are obtained.
Normal Load (Kg)
Shear Load (Kg)

10
9

20
18.1

30
27

40
36.2

Determine the angle of shearing resistance.

3. Two tri-axial tests were run on two identical soil samples. In
the first test the all round pressure was 250.0kN/m2 and the
failure occurred at a deviator stress of 750.0kN/m2. In the
Second test the all round pressure was 400.0kN/m2 and the
failure occurred at a total axial stress of 1450.0kN/m2.
Determine the cohesion and angle of internal friction using
i) Conventional Mohrs Circle method. ii) Modified Strength
Envelopes Method iii) Analytical Method.
4. A sample of dry cohesion less sand in a direct shear test fails
under shear strength of 1.6 Kg/cm2 when the normal stress is
2.4 Kg/cm2. Find the angle of shearing resistance and principal
stress at failure i.e. 1, 3 and orientation of the principal
plane. a)Analytical Method & b) Graphical Method.

5. The following are the results of a direct shear test on a sandy

soil sample. The normal load is 286 N, the tangential load is
173 N. the c/s of the box is 36cm2 (6cm x 6cm). Determine
and the magnitude and direction of principal stresses and
principal planes.
6. The following data is obtained from tri-axial test on a sample
of clay
All-round Pressure (Kg/cm2)
Deviator Stress (Kg/cm2)

2
7.5

4
13.5

Compute C and . If the sample is tested in direct shear under

a normal stress of 3 Kg/cm2 for what valve of shear stress the
sample will fail?
7. Two un-drained tri-axial tests were conducted on two soil
specimens. They gave the following results.
Confining Pressure (3 ) Kg/cm2
Additional Axial Stress @Failure ( d ) , Kg/cm2

1.5
5.0

3.0
8.0

Determine the value of cohesion & angle of internal friction

8. A direct shear box test on specimens of sand gave the
following observations:
Normal Stress (Kg/cm2)
1.0
1.75

Shear Stress (Kg/cm2)

0.46
0.81

Determine 1) angle 2) The shear strength of soil at a depth

of 5m from GL. Assume G=2.65 and e=0.7 and GWT at a
depth of 2m from the ground surface.

9. An unconfined test was conducted on a specimen of silty clay

1= qU @ failure is 1.5 Kg/cm2. Determine shear parameters
of soil. The angle made by Failure Plane with the axis of the
specimen was 35.
10. In unconfined compression strength test on clay sample Axial
load soil cylinder at failure = 20.0 Kg and initial area of
C/S, Ao=12.0cm2 and percentage strain, = 8% @ failure then
failure plane makes an angle with horizontal is observed to be
= 48. Estimate Cu and u.
11. In an unconfined test on a saturated clay specimen the
following data was obtained.
1) LO = 10cm
2) AO = 10 cm2
3) Spring stiffness (k) = 10 Kg/1cm extension
4) Extension of spring @ failure = 2 cm
5) Compression of soil sample (L) @ failure = 2 cm
Determine qU (a) When no correction for area is made,
(b) Correction for area is allowed
(Civil Services Examination -1982)
12. A vane H = 10cm, D = 6cm was pushed into a soft clay at the
bottom of the borehole. Torque was applied and gradually
increased to 425 Kg-Cm when failure took place. Find the
shearing strength of soil
1) Both top & bottom partakes in shear.
2) Only the bottom end partakes in shear.