GATE CE 2024 Set 2 — Question 55
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Geotechnical Engineering → Shear Strength of Soils → Stress Paths
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Question
A drained triaxial test was conducted on a saturated sand specimen using a stress-path triaxial testing system. The specimen failed when the axial stress reached a value of from an initial confining pressure of . The angle of shearing plane (in degrees) with respect to horizontal is ________________ (rounded off to the nearest integer).
Correct answer
30 to 30
Solution
Given:
Initial state: .
Failure state: Axial stress , Radial stress .
Since axial stress decreased, this is a triaxial extension test. In this case, the radial stress is the major principal stress () and the axial stress is the minor principal stress ().Step 1: Calculate the angle of internal friction ().
For sand ():
.Step 2: Determine the angle of the shearing plane with respect to horizontal.
The failure plane makes an angle with the major principal plane.
In this extension test, the major principal stress () is radial (horizontal), so the major principal plane is vertical.
The failure plane makes with the vertical plane.
Therefore, the angle with respect to the horizontal plane is .
Initial state: .
Failure state: Axial stress , Radial stress .
Since axial stress decreased, this is a triaxial extension test. In this case, the radial stress is the major principal stress () and the axial stress is the minor principal stress ().Step 1: Calculate the angle of internal friction ().
For sand ():
.Step 2: Determine the angle of the shearing plane with respect to horizontal.
The failure plane makes an angle with the major principal plane.
In this extension test, the major principal stress () is radial (horizontal), so the major principal plane is vertical.
The failure plane makes with the vertical plane.
Therefore, the angle with respect to the horizontal plane is .
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