SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1988
STP10329S

Micromorphological Aspects of the Vane Shear Test

Source

Micromorphological studies of the mode of failure using thin sections of soil obtained during laboratory vane shear testing indicate that the actual failure surface is not a sharply defined cylindrical surface, but rather a shear zone. The diameter of the failure surface at large angles of vane rotation in a soft and a very soft silty clay appeared to be equal to the diameter of the vane device. The shear structures that develop as the vane rotates may or may not fully develop to a continuous circular surface when the maximum torque is reached depending on the consistency of the soil. The results indicate that undrained shear strength calculations based on the assumption of a fully developed cylindrical surface may somewhat underestimate the actual soil strength, but that the magnitude of this deviation is soil type dependent.

Author Information

Veneman, PLM
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Edil, TB
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
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Details
Developed by Committee: D18
Pages: 182–190
DOI: 10.1520/STP10329S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5030-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-1188-2