Triaxial Test

1) Objective :Our objective was to find shear strength parameters of a remoulded soil sample by
unconsolidated undrained test.
2) Apparatus used :a) Standard mould (10 cm diameter, 12.6 cm height)
b) Rammer (2.36 kg , falling from 30 cm)
c) Base plate and coller
d) Graduated cylinder , e) Knife , g) Sampler
h) Split mould of standard size (8.5 cm length , 3.8 cm diameter)
i) Soil Excluder , j) Triaxial Cell , k) Rubber membrane
l) Porous stone , m) Non porous cap and rubber ring , n) PRR and Dial gauge
o) Apparatus for keeping constant cell pressure.
3) Procedure : Taking 3 kg of soil sample, we measure hygroscopic moisture content. Then add
remaining portion of water upto optimum moisture content . We followed the same test procedure
as of Standard Proctor Test . But we do not remove the coller. Then sharp edge of three sampler are
penetrated with uniform amount of pressure vertically. With the help of excluder we extract three
samples. While working with one sample we place other two samples in desiccator to maintain
moisture content.
With the help of excluder we reduce the sample into standard split mould size .
Taking the weight of sample we placed it on triaxial cell vertically and at the centre. We used rubber
membrane and placed on a porous stone . Then one non porous cap is placed at the top .
Provide 0.5 kg/cm constant water pressure in the cell. We closed all valve during
experiment. We applied deviator stress by moving the cell upwards. So total stress in vertical
direction (deviator stress + confining pressure) is major principal stress. Taking the reading until PRR
reading becomes constant or decreasing.

For each 50 or 100 reading of dial gauge we took PRR reading .

We converted PRR to load by multiplying least count. Dividing load by corrected

area we get deviator stress .

We did the same procedure for 1 and 1.5 kg/cm pressure.

We ploted strain vs deviator stress to find maximum deviator stress. Adding max
Deviator stress with corresponding confining cell pressure to obtain major principal stress .
We formed three mohr circles . Slope of the common tangent of the circles give
angle of internal friction , intercept on coordinate gives cohesion of the soil.

4) Calculation and Results :For Dial gauge 1 smallest division = 0.002 mm.
PRR , 594.5 division = 206 kg .
Corrected area for a particular PRR =

From Deviator stress vs strain graph we can find maximum deviator stress -

Confining pressure
(kg/cm)
0.5
1.0
1.5

Maximum Deviator Stress

(kg/cm)
1.611
2.377
2.202

Maximum Principal Stress

(kg/cm)
2.111
3.377
3.702

From failure envelope we get

C = 0.26 kg/cm , = 26

5) Discussion :There are many advantages of doing this experiment

Failure occur at weakest plane not the predetermined plane.
We can determine stresses for each plane even earlier than failure.
It provides three dimensional stress system which better represents field
condition.
For unconsolidated unconfined test time requirement is also less.
6) Conclusion : Triaxial test gives satisfactory correct shear strength parameters. We can apply
Unconsolidated Undrained test results when Load is applied rapidly so that pore water pressure can
not get dissipated.
Ex Embankment set up on soft soil rapidly , footing rapidly on clay deposit etc.

7) References :

Geotechnical Engineering by C.Venkatramiya.

Soil Mechanics and Foundation by Dr. BC Punmia, Asok Kumar Jain , Arun Kumar
Jain