Tutorial 5

1. Three soil samples are subjected to consolidated undrained triaxial test with pore pressure
measurement. The stresses and pwp on the sample at failure in the three tests are given below:

All round pressure (kPa) Principal stress difference (kPa) Pore water pressure (kPa)
150 192 80
300 341 154
450 504 222

i. Estimate the Skemptons pore water pressure parameter A at failure of the three
specimens.
ii. Draw the total stress Mohr circles and obtain the cu and ccu of the soil.
iii. Draw the effective stress Mohr circles and obtain the / and c/ of the soil.
iv. Draw the failure line in the S/ - t coordinate system and determine the / and c/ of the soil.

Figure 1 Graph sheet for the Mohr circles

Figure 2 Graph sheet for the Failure line in t - S/

 2. A consolidated undrained triaxial test on a specimen of saturated clay was carried out under
an all-round pressure of 600 kPa. Consolidation took place against a back pressure of 200
kPa. The following results were recorded during the test.

1 3 (kPa) 0 80 158 214 279 319

u (kPa) 200 229 277 318 388 433

Draw the stress the stress paths (both total and effective stress) and give the value of the pore pressure
coefficient A at failure.

3. In an in-situ vane shear test on a saturated clay a torque of 35 Nm is required to shear the soil.
The vane is 50mm wide and 100 mm long. What is the undrained shear strength of the clay?
What is the design undrain shear strength?

4. The following results were obtained at failure in a series of drained triaxial tests on fully
saturated clay specimens originally 38mm diameter by 76mm long. Determine the values of
shear strength parameters c/ and /.

All round pressure 200 400 600

(kPa)
Axial compression 7.22 8.36 9.41
(mm)
Axial load (N) 480 895 1300
Vlume change (ml) 5.25 7.40 9.30