= 72, THE MECHANICS OF SUILS
Special
conditions Name of test Diagram
Cylirifrical compression.
oe ‘The ‘triaxial’ test
. a
0, #0 #0¢ True triaxial a
~~
e-
70 i Plane strain or biaxial
‘One-dimensional compression
o |
Plane stress ce c
oy
b-
ee “The oedometer test .
* 0
c :
%
Uniaxial compression or
Oye eee ae uhconfined compression
%=0 0, =0
. °
0, #0) = 0, =0 Isotropic compression eh
Figure 5-4 Stress conditions in some common soil tests
3
in order of maguitude. When the soil sample is cylindrical it is usual to
denote the radial stress by ¢, and the axial stress by ¢,. We cannot immediately
calculate the magnitude of the tangential stress og and it is usual to make the
simple assumption that og = o,. :
In the true triaxial test, all three principal stresses may differ and each
may be varied independently, while in the isotropic compression test all
principal stresses are equal; there’ are various other kinds of test between
these extremes. Strictly speaking; the triaxial test in which o, = 9, = 0, = 09
would be better-described as the cylindrical compression test or the axially