GATE CE 2021 Set 1 — Question 41
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Geotechnical Engineering → Shear Strength of Soils → Stress-Strain of Clays
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Question
Based on drained triaxial shear tests on sands and clays, the representative variations of volumetric strain () with the shear strain () is shown in the figure.
Choose the CORRECT option regarding the representative behaviour exhibited by Curve and Curve .
Correct answer
(A) Curve P represents dense sand and overconsolidated clay, while Curve Q represents loose sand and normally consolidated clay
Solution
In soil mechanics, the volumetric behavior during shear depends on the initial state of the soil:
1.Dense sand and overconsolidated (OC) clay: These soils are initially packed tightly. When sheared, they first undergo a small amount of compression, but then the particles must roll over each other to continue shearing, leading to an increase in volume (dilatancy). This is represented by Curve .
2.Loose sand and normally consolidated (NC) clay: These soils have a loose structure. When sheared, the particles rearrange into a more compact state, leading to continuous volume reduction (compression). This is represented by Curve .
Therefore, Curve represents dense sand/OC clay and Curve represents loose sand/NC clay.Continue learning with Success Tracker
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