SOIL MECHANICS

CIVIL ENGINEERING VIRTUAL LABORATORY

EXPERIMENT: 10 TRIAXIAL TEST

AIM OF THE EXPERIMENT:

To find the shear of the soil by Undrained Triaxial Test.

APPARATUS REQUIRED:

a) Special:
i. A constant rate of strain compression machine of which the following is a
brief description of one is in common use.

A loading frame in which the load is applied by yoke acting through

an elastic dynamometer, more commonly called a proving ring
which used to measure the load. The frame is operated at a
constant rate by a geared screw jack. It is preferable for the
machine to be motor driven, by a small electric motor.
A hydraulic pressure apparatus including an air compressor and
water reservoir in which air under pressure acting on the water
raises it to the required pressure, together with the necessary
control valves and pressure dials.
ii. A triaxial cell to take 3.8 cm dia and 7.6 cm long samples, in which the
sample can be subjected to an all round hydrostatic pressure, together
with a vertical compression load acting through a piston. The vertical load
from the piston acts on a pressure cap. The cell is usually designed with a
non-ferrous metal top and base connected by tension rods and with walls
formed of Perspex.

b) General:
i. 3.8 cm (1.5 inch) internal diameter 12.5 cm (5 inches) long sample tubes.

ii. Rubber ring.

EXPERIMENT: 10 TRIAXIAL TEST SM-CEVL

iii. An open ended cylindrical section former, 3.8 cm inside dia, fitted with a
small rubber tube in its side.

iv. Stop clock.

v. Moisture content test apparatus.

vi. A balance of 250 gm capacity and accurate to 0.01 gm.

THEORY:
Triaxial test is more reliable because we can measure both drained and untrained shear
strength.

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EXPERIMENT: 10 TRIAXIAL TEST SM-CEVL

Generally 1.4 diameter (3 tall) or 2.8 diameter (6 tall) specimen is used. Specimen is
encased by a thin rubber membrane and set into a plastic cylindrical chamber. Cell
pressure is applied in the chamber (which represents 3) by pressurizing the cell fluid
(generally water).

Vertical stress is increased by loading the specimen (by raising the platen in strain
controlled test and by adding loads directly in stress controlled test, but strain controlled
test is more common) until shear failure occurs. Total vertical stress, which is 1 is
equal to the sum of 3 and deviator stress (d). Measurement of d, axial deformation,
pore pressure, and sample volume change are recorded.

Depending on the nature of loading and drainage condition, triaxial tests are conducted
in three different ways.

i. UU Triaxial test
ii. CU Triaxial test
iii. CD Triaxial test

APPLICATION:
UU triaxial test gives shear strength of soil at different confining stresses. Shear
strength is important in all types of geotechnical designs and analyses.

PROCEDURE:
i. The sample is placed in the compression machine and a pressure plate is placed
on the top. Care must be taken to prevent any part of the machine or cell from
jogging the sample while it is being setup, for example, by knocking against this
bottom of the loading piston. The probable strength of the sample is estimated
and a suitable proving ring selected and fitted to the machine.
ii. The cell must be properly set up and uniformly clamped down to prevent leakage
of pressure during the test, making sure first that the sample is properly sealed
with its end caps and rings (rubber) in position and that the sealing rings for the
cell are also correctly placed.

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EXPERIMENT: 10 TRIAXIAL TEST SM-CEVL

iii. When the sample is setup water is admitted and the cell is fitted under water
escapes from the beed valve, at the top, which is closed. If the sample is to be
tested at zero lateral pressure water is not required.
iv. The air pressure in the reservoir is then increased to raise the hydrostatic
pressure in the required amount. The pressure gauge must be watched during
the test and any necessary adjustments must be made to keep the pressure
constant.
v. The handle wheel of the screw jack is rotated until the underside of the
hemispherical seating of the proving ring, through which the loading is applied,
just touches the cell piston.
vi. The piston is then removed down by handle until it is just in touch with the
pressure plate on the top of the sample, and the proving ring seating is again
brought into contact for the begging of the test.

PRECAUTIONS:
OBSERVATION AND CALCULATION TABLE:

The machine is set in motion (or if hand operated the hand wheel is turned at a constant
rate) to give a rate of strain 2% per minute. The strain dial gauge reading is then taken
and the corresponding proving ring reading is taken the corresponding proving ring
chart. The load applied is known. The experiment is stopped at the strain dial gauge
reading for 15% length of the sample or 15% strain.

i. Size of specimen :
ii. Length :
iii. Proving ring constant :
iv. Diameter : 3.81 cm
v. Initial area L:
vi. Initial Volume :
vii. Strain dial least count (const) :

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EXPERIMENT: 10 TRIAXIAL TEST SM-CEVL

Sampl Wet bulk Cell Compressi Strain Moisture Shear Angle of

e No. density pressur ve stress at content strength shearing
gm/cc e kg/cm2 at failure failure (kg/cm2) resistance
1
2
3
Cell pressure Strain dial Proving ring Load on Corrected Deviator
kg/cm2 reading sample kg area cm2 stress
0
50
100
150
200
0.5 250
300
350
400
450

0
50
100
150
200
0.5 250
300
350
400
450

0
50
100
150
0.5 200
250
300
350
400
450

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 EXPERIMENT: 10 TRIAXIAL TEST SM-CEVL

GENERAL REMARKS:
i. It is assumed that the volume of the sample remains constant and that the area
of the sample increases uniformly as the length decreases. The calculation of the
stress is based on this new area at failure, by direct calculation, using the proving
ring constant and the new area of the sample. By constructing a chart relating
strains readings, from the proving ring, directly to the corresponding stress.
ii. The strain and corresponding stress is plotted with stress abscissa and curve is
drawn. The maximum compressive stress at failure and the corresponding strain
and cell pressure are found out.
iii. The stress results of the series of triaxial tests at increasing cell pressure are
plotted on a mohr stress diagram. In this diagram a semicircle is plotted with
normal stress as abscissa shear stress as ordinate.
iv. The condition of the failure of the sample is generally approximated to by a
straight line drawn as a tangent to the circles, the equation of which is t = C + a
tan f. The value of cohesion C is read of the shear stress axis, where it is cut by
the tangent to the mohr circles, and the angle of shearing resistance (f) is angle
between the tangent and a line parallel to the shear stress.

QUESTIONNAIRE:
i. Why triaxial testing is considered. As test-like conditions in the most natural?
ii. How CU test is different from a test CD.
iii. Why has the UU test = 0, or in other words, when adding Confining Pressure.
Under the soil to the same explanation.

1. In a triaxial compression test on a soil the relation between 1, 2 & 3

a) 1= 2 + 3
b) 2= 1 - 3
c) 2 = 3
d) none
2. In triaxial compression test on a soil specimen the intermediate principle stress is
equal to
a) Major principle stress

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EXPERIMENT: 10 TRIAXIAL TEST SM-CEVL

b) Minor principle stress

c) Both a & b
d) None
3. In triaxial compression test the application of additional axial stress on the soil
specimen produces shear stress on
a) Horizontal plane only
b) Vertical plane only
c) Both a & b
d) All planes except a and b
4. When drainage is allowed during the first stage only and not during the second
stage the test is known as
a) CD test
b) CU test
c) UD test
d) UU test
5. Triaxial shear test is used for
a) Cohesive soils
b) Cohessionless soils
c) Clays
d) All soils
6. Plot of a undrained triaxial test on saturated sand is
a) Parallel to x axis
b) Parallel to y axis
c) Inclined at 45
d) None
7. Deviator stress is equal to ______ for clays is
a) 1= 2 + 3
b) 2= 1 - 3
c) 2 = 3
d) none
8. The phenomenon of increase in volume of the soil during shearing is called
a) Dilation
b) Compaction
c) Consolidation
d) none

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EXPERIMENT: 10 TRIAXIAL TEST SM-CEVL

PART 2
ANIMATION STEPS

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EXPERIMENT: 10 TRIAXIAL TEST SM-CEVL

PART 3
VIRTUAL LAB FRAME