GEOTECH PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH MODEL ANSWER (22404)
Q.1. Define : Cohesion and internal friction.
ANS:- Cohesion (C) : Cohesion is the property of soil to hold the soil particles together. It is
force of attraction between same particles.
Internal friction : The resistance to deformation by continuous shear displacement of
soil particles upon action of shear stress is called internal friction.
Q.2 Draw shear strength envelope for purely cohesive and cohesion less soil with sketch
ANS:-Definition of flow net: It is the grid network formed due to intersection of flow (stream) lines
and equipotential lines, called as flow net.
Q.3 Explain with figure laboratory determination of shear strength of
soil with direct shear test.
Procedure for Direct Shear Test:
1. Take 2.5 Kg air dried soil sample passing through 4.75 mm and retained on 2.36mm IS
sieve.
2. Measure the internal dimensions of the shear box. Fix the upper part of the box to the
lower part using the locking screws. Attach the base plate to the lower part.
3. For performing a UU test, Plain toothed grids (without perforations) are used at the top and
bottom faces of samples. Place the porous stone over the grid plate.
4. Weigh the shear box with base plate, grid plate and porous stone. Place the soil specimen
in the box. Tamp it directly in the shear box at the required density.
5. When the soil in the top half of the shear box is filled, weigh the box with soil specimen.
Weigh the box inside the box contained and fix the loading pad on the box. Mount the box
contained on the loading frame.
6. Bring the upper half of the box in contact with the proving ring. Check the contact by
giving a slight movement.
7. Mount the loading yoke on the ball placed on the loading pad Mount the dial gauge on the
loading yoke to record the vertical displacement and another dial gauge on the container to
record the horizontal displacement.
8. Place the slotted weights of 0.5 N/mm2 on the loading yoke to apply a normal stress. Note
the reading of the vertical displacement dial gauge.
9. Remove the locking screws. Using the spacing screws, raise the upper part slightly above
the lower part such that the gap is slightly larger than the maximum particle size. Remove the
spacing screws.
10. Apply the horizontal shear load at a constant rate of strain of 0.2mm/minute till shear
failure of soil. Record the reading of the proving ring, the vertical displacement dial gauge
and the horizontal displacement dial gauge at regular time intervals to know the shear stress
at failure.
11. Repeat the test on identical specimens under the normal stresses of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 N/mm2
etc. Plot the graph by taking the value Normal Stress as abscissa and the maximum shearing
stress as ordinate to find shear strength of soil
Q.4 In shear box test, following observations were recorded at the
failure of soil specimen.
Find the value of cohesion C and internal friction ϕ by graphical
method.
From above graph:
1. Cohesion C = 0.75 N/mm2
2. Angle of internal friction ϕ = 15
Q.5. State types of failure of shear of soil.
ANS:- 1.General shear failure
2.Local shear failure
3.Punching shear failure
