Influence of grain orientation on direct shear strength of a loessial soil

✍ Scribed by Rudolph V. Matalucci; Mohamed Abdel-Hady; John W. Shelton

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1970
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 744 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0013-7952
• DOI: 10.1016/0013-7952(70)90008-6

✦ Synopsis

Experimental results indicate that preferred orientation of skeletal grains of Vicksburg loess has a significant influence on directional shear strength. Shear strength is greater where specimens are sheared perpendicular to grain orientation, and lower strength exists where specimens are sheared parallel to particle orientation. Strength variations range from 9-12~. Failure planes developed parallel to grain orientation produce off-lapping, short, discontinuous (en echelon) fractures, whereas a uniform, continuous fracture develops normal to grain orientation. Failure surfaces of direct shear tests also reveal steplike features which face the oncoming opposed surface.