The Vane Shear Test (also known as the Insitu

Vane Shear Test) is a method of testing soil

characteristics on site. Vane Shear Test is a very
popular type of insitu shear test among Geo-
technical engineers, geologists, and other
instances that benefit from soil data. It was
originally used in Sweden in 1919 and has been
employed widely on a worldwide basis in the
1940s following further studies by
Carlsson, Skempton , and Cadling and Odenstad.

The Vane Shear Test is mainly used to determine the in situ
undrained shear strength and the sensitivity of a saturated
cohesive soil. It is limited to fine grained soils which can retain
water content during the testing, in other words, sample soil has
to stay saturated throughout the test.The test works by inserting a
vane and rotating it until the soil fails. The undrained shear
strength and sensitivity can then be calculated by analyzing the
obtained torque and the diameter of the vane used.
The data acquired from vane shear test provide a simple and
convenient index of shear strength and guidelines for foundation
construction.Unlike other types of shear tests, vane shear test
does not require sample taken or additional lab equipment to
analyze the soil. This is beneficial for initial site testing since it
generally requires less time and cost to operate.


Vane
It has been universally agreed that the vane used in Vane Shear
Test should consist of 4 plates fixed at 90' angles to each other and
the height width ratio of each plates should be h:d = 2:1
[3]
. The 4
blades are welded onto a rod that can be attached to extension
rods to reach deep soil strata. Blades have to be parallel with
extension rods and no distortion is allowed to ensure equipment
safety and the accuracy of soil data. The diameter of rod shaft and
welding on rod has to be as small as possible for the same reasons.
The shaft also has to be of such rigidity to withstand full load
conditions such that it does not twist or bend significantly. Slip
coupling can also be added to prevent torque to carry over
between the vane and the extension rods through the connection.

Extension rods
The extension rods shall have a diameter and torsional stiffness
large enough to transmit generated torque by the housing during
the test to the vane yet small enough to acquire data without
significant disturbance. The extension rods has to be straight and
thread eccentricity in relation to the outer diameter shall be less
than .11 millimeters for rod joints. The diameter of extension rods
must be at least 20 millimeters , based on field experience and
testing.If bending shall occur, as shown in many cases, it must not
exceed 2 millimeters over each 1 meter of length, measured from
the arch. Casing tubes can also be used to prevent buckling of rods
as long as the inner diameter of tubes is large enough to minimize
friction between the tubes and rods. The friction between tubes
and rods have to be taken into account when calculating data
acquired.

Measuring meter
The measuring meter is designed so that it is possible
to read the actual value of torque. The measuring
meter has to be calibrated at least once every six
months or when it is damaged, overloaded, or
repaired. This is to ensure accurate reading of torque.
There are mainly 2 types of measuring meters: digital
measuring meter and analog measuring meter. The
digital measuring meter has an electronic display and
is very practical to use. The analog measuring meter is
a scaled gauge with a rotating vane that is connected
to a spring.

To conduct the insitu vane shear test, several
steps are taken to ensure accurate data
collection:
The shear vane is pushed into the soil through a
pre-existing outer casing into the soil. The pre-
rexisting outer casing is usually placed by drilling
into the soil carefully without disturbing the soil
too much.
The shear vane is inserted while rotating it at a
very slow speed, around 6 degrees/ minute. This
is to minimize lateral friction between the shear
vane and the soil which can affect data accuracy.

During the insertion, field data on torque is recorded
in real time. Torque data is recorded in a computer
and is measured in every 15-30s intervals, depending
on the level of accuracy needed.
The shear vane can be rotated until soil failure occurs.
At this point, maximum torque can be calculated. The
maximum torque is then related to the maximum
shear strength of the soil using mathematical
expressions.
To calculate soil sensitivity, shear vane is rotated 10x
its normal speed to remold the soil after failure
occurs.

Vane Shear Test can also conducted within the
confinement of a laboratory. The laboratory
Vane Shear Test measures the shear strength of
cohesive soils and it is useful for soils of low
shear strength for which triaxial or unconfined
test cannot be performed. Just like the insitu
vane shear test, the laboratory vane shear test
measures the undrained strength of the soil. The
undisturbed and remoulded strength obtained
are useful for evaluating the sensitivity of soil at
higher accuracy than the insitu vane shear test.

Several working conditions has to be fulfilled in
order for the Vane Shear Test to work:
The Vane Shear Test is not applicable to sands,
gravels, or other high permeable soils. This is
due to the lack of saturation in the soil strata
which affects soil movement.
Appropriate size of vane to be used. Small= stiff
soil. Large = soft soil. As mentioned above, The
diameter of extension rods must be at least 20
millimeters and if bending shall occur, it must
not exceed 2 millimeters over each 1 meter of
length, measured from the arch.

A report has to be organized after every vane shear test.
Information included in the report include administrative
data such as location, authorized personnel conducting
the experiment (drilling foreman and supervising
engineer), and experiment location. Soil data such as soil
conditions, elevations, drilling method, and boring
number has to be included in the report. The report needs
to take into consideration the geometry and description of
the vane such as its size and shape, depth of the vane tip,
drilling method, and equipment has to be recorded.
Special conditions such as soil resistance pushing back the
vane while drilling, as well as the calibrations of device
also need to be included.

Most commonly, data described above are
written in the report in form of the depth of
vane penetration, time elapsed from the
beginning to the end of penetration, soil
friction, method of applying and measuring
torque, number of vane revolutions,
maximum and intermediate torque, soil
failure, and the rate of remolding.

The data acquired from vane shear test can
be used to determined:
Undrained shear strength.
Evaluate rapid loading strength for total
stress analysis
Sensitivity of soil to disturbance.
Analysis of stability problems with
embankment on soft ground.

Vane shear strength is limited to insitu, undrained,
fine grained clays and silts and other fine
geomaterials. It cannot be used on unsaturated or
highly permeable soils. Vane shear test is highly
dependent on competence of personnel using the
instruments. Personnel using the instruments have
to understand basic data reading and common soil
characteristics. Condition of equipment also affects
accuracy of data acquired.