Shear Box parameter:

Length = 60mm Breath = 60mm Height = 20mm

Area: 60 x 60 =3600mm2 = 0.36m2
Volume: 60 x 60 x 20 = 72000mm3 = 72cm3
Shearing:
Stress factor CR =1.385 N/ div
Rate of displacement : 0.25mm/min

Load = 4.5kg Normal Stress = 12.26KN/m2

Time Horizontal Load dial Horizontal Shear Vertical movement
(min) displacements reading load (N) Stress
Dial Expansion-
(mm) divisions (KN/m2)
Reading(div) Settlement+
0.002mm/div mm
0 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 +
1 0.25 10.00 13.85 3.85 122 +
2 0.50 12.50 17.31 4.81 130 +
3 0.75 15.00 20.78 5.77 144 +
4 1.00 16.00 22.16 6.16 166 +
5 1.25 18.00 24.93 6.93 189 +
6 1.50 20.00 27.70 7.69 225 +
7 1.75 21.50 29.78 8.27 253 +
8 2.00 22.00 30.47 8.46 325 +
9 2.25 23.00 31.86 8.85 385 +
10 2.50 24.50 33.93 9.43 408 +
11 2.75 27.00 37.40 10.39 458 +
12 3.00 29.00 40.17 11.16 509 +
13 3.25 31.50 43.63 12.12 598 +
14 3.50 33.00 45.71 12.70 678 +
15 3.75 31.00 42.94 11.93 740 +
16 4.00 30.00 41.55 11.54 780 +
Load = 9.0kg Normal Stress = 24.53KN/m2

Time Horizontal Load dial Horizontal Shear Vertical movement

(min) displacements reading load (N) Stress
Dial Expansion-
(mm) divisions (KN/m2)
Reading(div) Settlement+
0.002mm/div mm
0 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 +
1 0.25 22.00 30.74 8.46 161 +
2 0.50 29.50 40.86 11.35 178 +
3 0.75 34.00 47.09 13.08 188 +
4 1.00 38.00 52.63 14.62 205 +
5 1.25 41.00 56.79 15.77 220 +
6 1.50 42.00 58.17 16.16 235 +
7 1.75 44.00 60.94 16.93 255 +
8 2.00 46.00 63.71 17.70 272 +
9 2.25 48.00 66.48 18.47 285 +
10 2.50 50.00 69.25 19.24 295 +
11 2.75 51.50 71.33 19.81 309 +
12 3.00 53.00 73.41 20.39 335 +
13 3.25 54.00 74.79 20.78 344 +
14 3.50 55.00 76.18 21.16 357 +
15 3.75 56.50 78.25 21.74 361 +
16 4.00 57.00 78.95 21.93 369 +
17 4.25 57.50 79.64 22.12 389 +
18 4.50 58.00 80.33 22.31 401 +
19 4.75 59.00 81.72 22.70 411 +
20 5.00 59.50 82.41 22.89 414 +
21 5.25 60.00 83.10 23.08 418 +
22 5.50 59.50 82.41 22.89 418 +
23 5.75 58.50 81.02 22.51 419 +
24 6.00 58.00 80.33 22.31 421 +
 Shear Stress vs Horizontal Displacement
25

20

15
Shear Stress ( KN/m²)

Load 4.5 kg
Load 9 kg

10

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Horizantal Displacement ( mm )
 Shear Stress vs Normal Stress
30

25

20
Shear Stress (KN/m² )

15

10

0
12.26 14.26 16.26 18.26 20.26 22.26 24.26
Normal Stress ( KN/m² )

Load ( Kg ) 4.5 9.0

Normal Stress ( KN/m² ) 12.26 24.53

Max Shear Stress (KN/m² ) 12.70 23.08

According to this table internal friction and the cohesion is obtain from plotting the Shear stress
versus Normal stress.
6.0 DISCUSSION

From the graph

The cohesion, c = 12.7kN/m2
Angle of internal friction,  = 20°

The shear box has to make sure it clean to avoid any error to the reading and to specimen.
Grease has to be applied to help the specimen easy to remove from the box without left
any single specimen on the box wall.
According to the result which obtained, it is conservative while plotted in Shear stress VS
Normal stress graph. It also can derive in the Stress formula :    n tan   c

In the situation where  = shear stress

 n = normal stress
From the table provided, we get the maximum shear stress result for specimen 1 is 12.70
KN/m² and specimen 2 is 23.08KN/m². The normal stress for specimen 1 is 12.26 KN/m²
and specimen 2 is 24.53 KN/m².

In dense sands the grains are to some degree interlocked, so that an initial expansion or
dilation is necessary in order that shearing can occur. Thus the shear stress will first rise
sharply, with corresponding increase in volume, until it reaches a peak value at a
relatively low value of strain. As the interlocking is reduced the displacement continues
more quickly and the shear stress falls back and finally levels off at an ultimate value. All
this we can see in the graph provided in the results.

This action of dense sand contrasts with that of a loosely packed sand, since in the latter a
steady increase in shear stress takes place as the displacement increases. The volume
decreases and the soil contracts into a more dense state as the shear stress increases
towards the same ultimate value. The constant volume (void ratio) achieved at the
ultimate stress corresponds to the critical state volume. The difference between peak and
ultimate values clearly depends on the original density (void ratio) of the soil; a soil more
dense than critical will dilate, whereas a soil looser than critical will contract. The peak
stress is therefore a function of the initial volume/density state.
7.0 CONCLUSION

As the result we already stated in the discussion above. From this test we can discover
advantages and disadvantages of shear box test.

Advantages:

 Both shear stress and normal stress on the plane failure are measured directly; the shear
strength parameters are defined in terms of these direct stresses.

 A constant normal stress can be maintained throughout the test

 It is easier to test cohesion less soils, e.g. sand and gravels, and drained tests can be
carried out in a reasonably short time.

 Volume changes can be measured simply

 Using a reversible shear box, tests involving large displacements can be done, e.g. to
measure residual strengths of clays.

Disadvantages:

 The distribution of shear stress over the plane of failure is assumed to be uniform, but in
fact it is not.

 It is not possible to control drainage from the sample or to measure the pore pressure
within the sample. Therefore, only total stress measurements can be made, except when
the rate of shearing is kept slow enough to ensure no rise in pore pressure.

 The normal stress cannot easily be varied during tests.

From the shear stress vs normal stress, we can conclude that:

 Different types or characteristics of soils give different values of cohesion.

 The larger the settlement is not depends on load respectively.

 If the value of angle of internal friction is more than the result obtained, landslide may
happen in a real situation.

 In other words, the lesser the value, the safer the land slope.

 From graph Shear Stress versus Normal Stress found out  = 20º and c = 12.7KN/m2.
To put these in the formula    n tan   c will get the shear stress for this sample of

soil is    n tan 20  12.7 .