Introduction

Level 2 laboratory activities refer to the condition where only the problem in guided and give.
Students are required to find the ways and means and provide the answers to the given
assignment using the group creativity and innovativeness. The activity will enable the students to
appreciate independent learning and prepare them for a much harder task open ended laboratory
activities.
In this laboratory activities, Student need to know shear strength of a soil. It is maximum
resistance to shearing stress at failure plane. The shear strength of soil mainly consist of the
resistance due to interlocking of particle and friction between individual particle at their contact
point. Internal fraction and the resistance due to inter particle forces which tend to hold the
particle together in a soil mass what scaled cohesion.
Objectives
To determine the undrained shear strength parameters of soil using unconfined compression test.
Basic concept
Unconfined compression test is usually used for measurement of an undrained strength of
cohesive soil because of the simplicity of the test technique.
However this test in anapplicable for such as specimens as crack clay, very solid clay and clayey
soil which contains extra fraction of sand.
In these cases, an other strength method such as the triaxial compression test must be applied.
Result from the unconfined compression test for some cohesive soils were compressive the on
the same soils for the purpose of investigating the characteristic of unconfined compression test.

Problem statement
UCT is a special case of triaxial compression, carried out at zero pressure. Since only one Mohr
circle is drawn, the test is only applicable to fully saturated non-fissured clay and the undrained
strength can be measured. As a group, you are required to investigate the shear strength
parameters of a given soil sample.
Apparatus
1. Unconfined compression test machine.
2. Dual gauges
3. Load ring
4. Electronic displacement and load transducers
5. Soil sample
6. Moisture content equipment
 Procedure
1. The sample is placed in the compression test machine so that the sample is centred on the
lower plate.
2. The machine is adjusted carefully so that the upper plate just make contact with the
sample. Zero the deformation indicator.
3. Apply the load so as to produce axial strain at rate % to 2% per minutes and record load
and deformation values as needed to provided a complete curve.
4. The test continued until load values decrease with the increasing strain or until 20% axial
strain is reached.
5. After removing the specimen from the test machine, the sample moisture content is
determined using the entire test specimen unless representative cuttings are obtained for
this purpose.
6. A sketch of graph of the test specimen at failure is made including the slope angle for the
failure surface if measurable.