10. Shear Strength Of Soil
Understanding shear strength is crucial for evaluating soil stability and ensuring the safety of geotechnical structures. It involves the resistance of soil to shearing stresses, influenced by factors such as cohesion and internal friction between particles. Shear strength plays a vital role in foundational stability, slope integrity, and the management of lateral earth pressures.
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What we have learnt
- Shear strength is the capacity of a material to resist forces sliding past one another.
- Soil failure typically occurs through shearing along internal surfaces within the soil.
- Shear strength is derived from both cohesion between particles and the frictional resistance they provide.
Key Concepts
- -- Shear Strength
- The capacity of a material to resist internal and external forces that cause sliding between particles.
- -- Cohesion
- The measure of the forces that hold soil particles together, independent of stress.
- -- Internal Friction
- The measure of the shear strength resulting from the friction between soil particles, influenced by particle size and shape.
- -- Angle of Repose
- The steepest angle at which a sloped surface formed of a particular material is stable.
- -- Normal Stress
- The stress component acting perpendicular to a plane, contributing to volume changes in soil.
- -- Shear Stress
- The stress component acting tangentially to a plane, facilitating the sliding of soil grains.
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