The shear strength of unsaturated soils

Abstract

The shear strength of an unsaturated soil is written in terms of two independent stress state variables. One form of the shear strength equation is[Formula: see text]The transition from a saturated soil to an unsaturated soil is readily visible. A second form of the shear strength equation is[Formula: see text]Here the independent roles of changes in total stress σ and changes in pore-water pressure uw are easily visualized.Published research literature provides limited data. However, the data substantiate that the shear strength can be described by a planar surface of the forms proposed. A procedure is also outlined to evaluate the pertinent shear strength parameters from laboratory test results.