Comparison of sandy soil shear strength parameters obtained by various construction direct shear apparatuses

An analysis of test results performed by common type of direct shear apparatuses shows that normal stress on the shear plane of soil sample is not equal to vertical component of distributed external load applied to the top of soil sample. Performed measurements cleared that only 65–85% of total vertical load is transmitted to the sample shear plane. Thus, determining of the soil shear strength depends on shear apparatus construction, i.e. on actual magnitude of vertical load transmitted to the shear plane. The paper presents an analysis of shear strength parameters of sand determined by two different construction of direct shear apparatuses with movable lower shear ring. The soil shear strength parameters by employing direct shear apparatus SPF-2 have been obtained under constant vertical load and measuring the vertical load at different positions, namely: at the bottom and that of at the top of soil sample, respectively. The soil strength parameters by employing the universal shear testing device ADS 1/3 were determined under two conditions, namely: by maintaining constant soil volume and that of for constant vertical load, respectively. In both cases the vertical load was measured at the top of soil sample.