Florida International University

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

CEG 4011 L Geotechnical Engineering I Laboratory
Dr. Luis A. Prieto-Portar PhD, PE, SE.

Lab Report #01

The Direct Shear Test (ASTM D-3080)
Performed on xx March 2010

Team Members:
Member

Attendance

Writing Assignment

Completed

01- The Direct Shear Test of a Soil

1) Introduction:
The direct shear test is one of the oldest methods for testing the strength of soils. This test
can be performed under different conditions. The soil sample is normally saturated before
the test, but the sample can also be tested at the in-situ moisture content. The rate of strain
can be varied to create to a test of undrained or drained conditions. This depends on
whether the strain is applied slowly for water in the sample to prevent pore-water pressure
buildup. Several specimens are tested, at varying confining stresses, to determine the shear
strength parameters, the soil cohesion, and the angle of internal friction.
Soil Shear strength describes the maximum strength of a soil where significant plastic
deformation occurs due to an applied shear stress. The shear strength of a soil mostly
depends on the rate at which the shearing occurs. The shear strength is one of the most
important engineering properties of a soil because it is required whenever a structure is
dependent on the soils shearing resistance. The shear strength is applied in engineering
situations such as the design of foundations, retaining walls, and pavements in civil
engineering applications.
In the U.S., the standard defining how the test should be performed is ASTM D 3080. The
test is performed on three or four soil specimens. A specimen is placed in a shear box having
a cross-sectional area (A); a confining stress is applied vertically to the specimen. Testing
proceeds by displacing the lower half of the split box and measuring the horizontal shear
force (T) transmitted through the soil to the upper portion of the box. Testing continues by
displacing the lower box horizontally until the sample fails (when the shear force increases
to a maximum value and then decreases or remains constant). The load applied and the
strain induced is recorded at frequent intervals to determine a stress-strain curve for the
applied confining stress.

The Direct Shear Testing Apparatus

The specimens are tested at different confining stresses to determine the shear strength
parameters:
The shear stress () on the shear plane may be calculated using:

The shear strength S of a granular soil may be expressed by the Mohr-Coulomb equation:
S = c + tan
Where = effective normal stress and = angle of friction of soil.

Typical values of the drained angle of friction, , for sands are given below:
Round-grained sand

(degrees)

Angular-grained sand

(degrees)

Loose
Medium
Dense

28-32
30-35
34-38

Loose
Medium
Dense

30-36
34-40
40-45

The results of the tests on each specimen are plotted on a graph with the peak (or residual) stress
on the x-axis and the confining stress on the y-axis.

2) Equipment:
1. Direct Shear Test Machine (Soil Test Inc.)
Soil Test Engineering Test Equipment

Model: D-124-A
Serial No.: # 700
Electronic Specifications: 115 V 60 CY

Motor specifications (Mac Motor Appliance Corp)

Frame: 42-38 20 L
Amps 2/1.6
2. Force Meter

ELE

Specs: B5412 M3

Horsepower: 1/6 hp Volts: 15/230

Cycle 30/50

RPM 1725/1426

88-4000

0.0001

No. 25-3041

0.0001

3. Displacement Meter

Starrett

Rating 70C

4. Mass Balance
Ohaus Model: Explorer Pro
Maximum: 22000 g

5. Spoon
6. Assortment of weights (for applying load)

7. 2.5 cm Ball Bearing

8. Ruler

3) Procedure.
1. Remove the shear box assembly and insert the two vertical pins
to keep the two halves of the shear box together.

2. Determine the dimensions of the shear box. Determine the

dimensions for the arm of the vertical load yoke in the direct
shear machine.

3. Weigh the dry sand bowl, W1. Fill the shear box with sand in
small layers. Weigh the bowl with sand again to record the
amount of sand put into the shear box.
4.
Try to compact the sand layers. The top of the compacted
specimen should be about inch below the top of the
shear box. It is important to level the surface of the sand
specimen so that the cap will sit level with the sand
sample.

5. Slip the loading head down from the top of the shear box to rest
on the soil specimen. Place the ball bearing in the gap of the
loading head.

6. Put the shear box assembly in place in the direct shear machine.

7. Apply the desired normal load, N, on the specimen by hanging

1Kg. dead weights to the vertical load yoke. The top crossbars
will rest on the loading head of the specimen, which, in turn,
rests on the soil sample.

8. Attach the horizontal and vertical dial gauges (0.001 in/small

div) to the shear box to measure the displacement during the test.

9. Remove the two vertical pins that were keeping the two halves of the shear box together
(from Step 1).

9. Apply horizontal load, S, to the top half of the shear box. The rate
of shear displacement should be between 0.1 to 0.02 in/min.
Record the readings of the vertical dial gauge and the proving
ring gauge, which measures the horizontal load, S for every tenth
small division displacement in the horizontal dial gauge.

Continue until the following happens at the proving ring dial

gauge:
Reaches a maximum and then falls
Reaches a maximum and then remains constant.

10. Repeat the test (Steps 1 to 9) two more times. For each test, the dry unit weight of
compaction of the sand specimen should be the same as that of the first sample.

4) Data and Calculations.

W1 (Weight of bowl + dry soil) (before) = 5.4885 lb
W2 (Weight of bowl + dry soil) (after) = 5.2430 lb
Length (L) = 2 in

Width (B) = 2 in

Height (H) = 1.31 in

Specific Gravity of soil (G) = 2.66

Dry unit weight of the soil:
3

W W2 (5.4885 5.2430)lb
lbs 12in
d 1

0.0469 3
81 pcf
LBH
(2)(2)(1.31)
in 1 ft
Voids Ratio of the Soil:

Gs w
(2.66)(62.4 pcf )
1
1 1.048
d
81 pcf

Trial 1 Sample Calculations

F = 1 kg
V (Normal Force) = 8 x 1 = 8 kg
V (Normal Force) = 8 kg x 2.20046 lbs/kg = 17.64 lbs
Normal Stress:
'

Vertical load ( Normalforc e) (17.64)

lbs

16.91 2
( L)( B )
(2)( 2)
in

Shear force:
S = 35 / 5 = 7 lbs
Shear Stress:
(lb / in)

shear force , S
S (lb )
(7 )

1.75 psi
area of the soil
( L in) ( B in) ( 2)( 2)

5) Tables.
Below is a diagram explaining why the total force is eight times the load.
Arm advantage is 8 since 24in/3in

M(support) = 0
Load * 24 = Acting Force * 3
Acting Force = (Load * 24) / 3
Acting Force = 8 * Load

Trail 1
W1
W2
Length
Width
Height
Gs

Value
5.4885
5.2430
2
2
1.31
2.66

Units
lb
F
lb
V
in
V
in
in

1
8
17.64

kg
kg
lbs

Normal
Stress,
(Lb/in)

Horizontal
Displacement
(mm)

Horizontal
Shear
Displacement force
(in)
S (Lb)

Shear
stress
(psi)

16.91
16.91
16.91
16.91
16.91
16.91
Normal
16.91
Stress,
16.91
(Lb/in)

0.254
0.381
0.508
0.635
0.762
0.889
Horizontal
1.016
Displacement
1.143(mm)

0.010
0.015
0.020
0.025
0.030
0.035
Horizontal
0.040
Displacement
0.045
F (in)

1.75
2.00
2.25
2.75
3.00
3.25
Shear
3.40
stress
3.50
kg
(psi)

21.32
21.32
21.32
21.32
21.32
21.32
21.32
21.32
21.32
21.32
21.32
21.32
21.32
21.32
21.32
Trail 3
21.32
W1
21.32
W2
21.32
Length
21.32
Width
21.32
Height
21.32
Gs
21.32

0.0254
0.0254
0.0508
0.0762
0.0762
0.1016
0.1270
0.1524
0.2540
0.2540
0.3302
0.4064
0.4572
0.5080
0.5588
Value
0.6350
2.7485
0.6858
2.6295
0.7874
2
0.8890
2
0.9906
1.31
1.2192
2.66
1.4986

V
0.001
V
0.001
0.002
0.003
0.003
0.004
0.005
0.006
0.010
0.010
0.013
0.016
0.018
0.020
0.022
Units
0.025
lb
0.027
lb
0.031
in
0.035
in
0.039
in
0.048
0.059

7.0
8.0
9.0
11.0
12.0
13.0
Shear
13.6
force
214.0
S (Lb)

16
2.0
35.27
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
11.0
12.0
13.0
14.0
15.0
16.0
17.0
18.0
19.0
20.0
21.0
22.0
22.4

kg
0.50
lbs
0.75
1.00
1.25
1.50
1.75
2.00
2.25
2.50
2.75
3.00
3.25
3.50
3.75
4.00
4.25
4.50
4.75
5.00
5.25
5.50
5.60

Units obtained in Lab

Trail 2Horizontal
Value Shear Units
Displacement
Force
W1
2.6419
lb
10
35
W2
2.5178
lb
15
40
Length
2
in
20
45
Width
2
in
25
55
Height
1.31
in
30
60
Gs
2.66
35
65
Units obtained in Lab
40
68
Horizontal
Shear
45
70
Displacement force
1
1
2
3
3
4
5
6
10
10
13
16
18
20
22
25
27
31
35
39
48
59

10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
112

F
V
V

3
24
52.91

kg
kg
lbs

Normal
Stress,
(Lb/in)
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73
25.73

Horizontal
Horizontal
Displacement Displacement
(mm)
(in)
0.0127
0.0152
0.0152
0.0152
0.0254
0.0381
0.0508
0.0762
0.1016
0.1270
0.1524
0.1905
0.2286
0.2540
0.2921
0.3302
0.3556
0.3810
0.4064
0.4318
0.4572
0.4572
0.5334
0.5842
0.6096
0.6604
0.7112
0.7620
0.8128
0.9144
0.9652
1.1176
1.2954
1.4224
1.4732
1.5240

0.0005
0.0006
0.0006
0.0006
0.0010
0.0015
0.0020
0.0030
0.0040
0.0050
0.0060
0.0075
0.0090
0.0100
0.0115
0.0130
0.0140
0.0150
0.0160
0.0170
0.0180
0.0180
0.0210
0.0230
0.0240
0.0260
0.0280
0.0300
0.0320
0.0360
0.0380
0.0440
0.0510
0.0560
0.0580
0.0600

Shear
force
S (Lb)

Shear
stress
(psi)

2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
11.0
12.0
13.0
14.0
15.0
16.0
17.0
18.0
19.0
20.0
21.0
22.0
23.0
24.0
25.0
26.0
27.0
28.0
29.0
30.0
31.0
32.0
33.0
34.0
34.0
34.2
34.4

0.50
0.75
1.00
1.25
1.50
1.75
2.00
2.25
2.50
2.75
3.00
3.25
3.50
3.75
4.00
4.25
4.50
4.75
5.00
5.25
5.50
5.75
6.00
6.25
6.50
6.75
7.00
7.25
7.50
7.75
8.00
8.25
8.50
8.50
8.55
8.60

Units obtained in
Lab
Shear
Horizontal
13
Displacement Force
0.5
0.6
0.6
0.6
1
1.5
2
3
4
5
6
7.5
9
10
11.5
13
14
15
16
17
18
18
21
23
24
26
28
30
32
36
38
44
51
56
58
60

10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
115
120
125
130
135
140
145
150
155
160
165
170
170
171
172

14

15

16

7) Conclusions.
A direct shear test is used to find the shear strength parameters of a soil. Stress failure is caused
by slippage of soil particles, which may lead to sliding of one body of soil relative to the
surrounding mass. The shear stress and displacement is not uniformly distributed within the soil,
therefore, as the soil is initially displaced the shear stress increases at a fast rate and then as more
displacement occurs, the rate decreases. This can be seen in the plot of shear stress versus
horizontal displacement where the slope of the graph is steep initially and then decreases as
displacement increases.
There are advantages and disadvantages to using a direct shear test. Some of the advantages are
that it is cheap, fast and simple, especially for the testing of sand and failure occurs along a
single surface, which approximates observed slips or shear type failures in natural soils.
However, the main disadvantage is that the failure plane is forced and may not be the most
critical plane which failure can occur. Other disadvantages are that non-uniform stress conditions
exist in the specimen, and the principal stresses rotate during shear, and the rotation cannot be
controlled. While conducting this experiment, it was determined that some factors might have
induced errors in the data that was being recorded. Before weighing the sand sample in the
porcelain dish, a part of it spilled. This might have led to some overestimation in the values for
the weight of the sand placed in the shear box. Another factor that might have induced error was
the way in which the gauges were being read. They were read simultaneously and at a very fast
pace. This might have led to some inaccuracies while recording the readings.
Also, the tools used for the experiment were not perfect. The horizontal reading gauge could not
be placed in a perfectly horizontal position, which definitely caused some underestimation of the
horizontal shear displacement recorded. Finally, the sand placed in the shear box didnt have a
perfectly flat surface. This probably led to some inconsistencies while recording the values for
the vertical shear displacement. From the experiment the maximum shear stress was found to be
3.5 psi, 5.6 psi and 8.6 psi for the first, second and third trials respectively.

17

8) References.
Prieto-Portar, Luis. 08. The Direct Shear Test Florida International University. 1 Apr. 2008
<http://web.eng.fiu.edu/~prieto/geo1/Laboratories/08-Direct-Shear-Test/Index.htm>.
"Shear Strength in Soils". <http://esig4.uwyo.edu/classes/fa2007/ce3600/8_shear/shear.htm>.
Sivakugan, N. "Shear Strength of Soils." <www.geoengineer.org/files/StrengthSivakugan.ppt>.