TITLE

Unconfined Compression Test (UCT)

INTRODUCTION
In this laboratory activity, our group knew shear strength of a soil. It is maximum resistance to
shearing stresses. It is usually considered to be equal to the shear stresses at failure on the
failure plane. The shear strength of soil mainly consists of the resistance due to interlocking of
particle and friction between individual particles at their contact point i.e. internal friction and
the resistance due to inter particle forces which tend to hold the particles together in a soil
mass, what so called cohesion.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the undrained shear strength parameters of soil using unconfined compression
test.

THEORY
The unconfined compressive strength (qu) is the load per unit area at which the cylindrical
specimen of a cohesive soil falls in compression.

qu

P
A

Where P = axial load at failure, A = corrected area =

A0
1

, where Ao = is the initial area

of the specimen, = axial strain = change in the length/original length.

The untrained shear strength (s) of the soil is equal to the one half of the unconfined
compressive strength,

s=

qu
2

APPARATUS
Sieve shaker, weighing balance, ruler, vernier callipers, moisture can, beaker, soil sample,
Load and deformation dial gauges, compression device and mould.

PROCEDURE
1) The soil sample was sieved using the sieve shaker.
2) The water content used is 48 percent.
3) The mass of the soil solids (Ms) was weigh using the weighing balance so that the mass
of water can be calculated with this formula: Ms x water content.
4) The soil specimen was compacted into the mould. Then, take out the specimen from
the mould.
5) The exact diameter of the specimen was measured by using the vernier callipers at
three different locations, which is at the top, middle and bottom. The average diameter
was calculated and recorded.
6) The exact length of the specimen was measured by using the ruler at three different
locations. The average length was calculated and recorded.
7) The specimen was weigh and the mass was recorded.
8) The specimen was placed in the compression device and centered on the bottom plate.
The device was adjusted until the upper plate contact with the specimen. The load and
deformation dials was set to zero.
9) The deformation dial is turned manually in the clockwise direction and the reading of
the load dial is recorded at every 20 to 50 divisions on the deformation the dial.
10) The data was recorded until the sample reaches the failure.
11) Remove the sample from the compression device and placed it into the oven. After 24
hours, the mass of the sample is weighed again and the data is recorded.

DATA
Date Tested: 05 Feb 2015
Tested By: EC110 Class, Group 4D
Project Name: EC110 Lab
Table 1: Moisture Content Determination
MC = Mass of empty, clean can (grams)
MCMS = Mass of can, and moist soil (grams)

20
370.76

MCDS = Mass of can, and dry soil (grams)

257

MS = Mass of soil solids (grams)

237

MW = Mass of pore water (grams)

W = Water content, w (%)

Sample data:
Diameter (d) = 1.412 cm
Length (L0) = 9.7 cm
Mass = 320.4 g

4
Area (A0) =

(1.412)2 = 1.57 cm2

Volume = A0 L0 = 15.23 cm3

Mass
Volume
Wet density =

= 21.04 g/cm3

113.76
48

Wet density
W
1
100

= 14.21 g/cm3

Dry density =

Table 2: Unconfined Compression Test Data

Deformation Dail: 1 unit = 0.002 mm
Load Dial: 1 unit = 0.3154 lb
Deformati

Load

Sample

Strai

Strai

Correct

Load

Load

Stress

on Dial

Dial

Deformati

n ()

ed

(lb)

(kN)

(kN/mm

Reading

Readi

on L

(%)

Area, A

ng

(mm)
0
0.04

0
0.00

0
0.04

(mm2)
15.66
15.70

0
0.15

0
673

0
42.866

1
0.08

15.72

14
0.16

716

45.547

1
0.17

756

48.092

770

48.951

0
20

0
0.48

40

0.51

0.08

0
0.00

60

0.54

0.12

1
0.00

2
0.12

15.72

80

0.55

0.16

1
0.00

4
0.16

15.73

0
0.17

100

0.57

0.20

0.00

0.20

15.73

3
0.18

801

50.922

120

0.68

0.24

2
0.00

6
0.24

15.73

0
0.21

954

60.648

140

0.73

0.28

2
0.00

7
0.28

15.75

4
0.23

102

64.952

160

0.80

0.32

3
0.00

9
0.33

15.75

0
0.25

3
112

71.238

180

0.92

0.36

3
0.00

0
0.37

15.76

2
0.29

2
129

81.916

0.40

4
0.00

1
0.41

15.76

0
0.34

1
154

97.906

0.50

4
0.00

2
0.51

15.78

7
0.47

3
210

133.33

200
250

1.1
1.5

300

1.8

0.60

5
0.00

5
0.61

15.79

3
0.56

4
252

3
159.97

350

2.0

0.70

6
0.00

9
0.72

15.81

8
0.63

6
280

5
177.54

400

2.2

0.80

7
0.00

2
0.82

15.83

1
0.69

7
308

6
195.00

0.90

8
0.00

5
0.92

15.84

4
0.78

7
350

9
221.51

8
1.03

15.86

9
0.91

9
407

8
256.62

450

2.5

500

2.9

1.00

9
0.01

550

3.0

1.10

0
0.01

1
1.13

15.87

5
0.94

0
422

265.97

600

3.2

1.20

1
0.01

4
1.23

15.89

9
1.00

1
448

4
282.44

650

3.5

1.30

2
0.01

7
1.34

15.91

9
1.10

8
491

2
308.67

700

3.7

1.40

3
0.01

0
1.44

15.92

4
1.16

1
519

4
326.06

750

3.9

1.50

4
0.01

3
1.54

15.94

7
1.23

1
547

8
343.22

800

4.0

1.60

5
0.01

6
1.64

15.96

0
1.26

1
561

5
351.69

1.70

6
0.01

9
1.75

15.99

2
1.29

3
575

2
359.72

3
1.85

16.00

3
1.32

2
589

5
368.25

850

4.1

900

4.2

1.80

8
0.01

950

4.3

1.90

9
0.02

6
1.95

16.02

5
1.35

2
603

0
376.52

1000

4.4

2.00

0
0.02

9
2.06

16.04

6
1.38

2
617

9
384.85

1100

4.5

2.20

1
0.02

2
2.26

16.07

8
1.41

3
631

0
392.84

4.7

2.40

3
0.02

8
2.47

1200

16.10

3
659

4
409.56

1.48

1300

4.9

2.60

0.02

2.68

16.14

2
1.54

687

425.89

1400

5.0

2.80

7
0.02

0
2.88

16.17

5
1.57

4
701

8
433.76

1500

5.1

3.00

9
0.03

7
3.09

16.20

7
1.60

4
715

6
441.79

3.20

1
0.03

3
3.29

16.24

9
1.67

7
743

0
457.94

1600

5.3

1700

5.4

3.40

3
0.03

9
3.50

16.27

2
1.70

7
757

3
465.64

1800

5.5

3.60

5
0.03

5
3.71

16.30

3
1.73

6
771

3
473.43

1900

5.6

3.80

7
0.03

1
3.91

16.34

5
1.76

7
785

6
480.72

4.00

9
0.04

8
4.12

16.37

6
1.82

5
813

2
496.94

4
4.53

16.44

9
1.86

5
827

6
503.52

2000

5.8

2200

5.9

4.40

1
0.04

2400

6.0

4.80

5
0.04

6
4.94

16.51

1
1.89

8
841

8
509.75

2600

6.1

5.20

9
0.05

8
5.36

16.60

2
1.92

6
855

2
515.54

2800

6.2

5.60

4
0.05

1
5.77

16.67

4
1.95

8
869

2
521.77

3000

6.3

6.00

8
0.06

3
6.18

16.74

5
1.98

8
883

6
527.95

3300

6.5

6.60

2
0.06

6
6.80

16.85

7
2.05

8
911

7
541.12

3600

6.7

7.20

8
0.07

4
7.42

16.95

0
2.11

8
939

8
554.51

7.80

4
0.08

3
8.04

17.07

3
2.14

9
954

3
558.93

1
8.66

17.20

5
2.17

1
968

4
562.79

3900

6.8

4200

6.9

8.40

0
0.08

4500

7.0

9.00

7
0.09

0
9.27

17.31

6
2.20

0
982

1
567.36

4800

7.2

9.60

3
0.09

8
9.89

17.43

8
2.27

1
101

0
579.18

5100

7.3

10.2

9
0.10

7
10.5

17.54

1
2.30

01
102

1
583.75

5400

7.4

10.8

5
0.11

15
11.1

17.66

2
2.33

39
103

1
587.88

5700

7.6

11.4

1
0.11

34
11.7

17.80

4
2.39

82
106

2
598.98

6000

7.7

12.0

8
0.12

53
12.3

17.92

7
2.42

62
108

9
602.90

12.8

4
0.13

71
13.1

18.09

9
2.49

04
110

2
612.71

13.6

2
0.14

96
14.0

18.26

2
2.36

84
105

4
576.34

21

24

6400
6800

7.9
7.5

ANALYSIS
Examples of calculation :
Strain (%) = L/Lo x 100%
= 0.04 / (97) x 100%
= 0.041
Corrected Area = A0 / (1- )
= 15.7 / (1- 0.001)
= 15.72 mm2
Load (kN) = Load (lb) x 4.448 x 1000
= 0.1514 x 4.448 x 1000
= 673 kN
Sample Deformation( L) = Deformation dial x 0.002
= 20 x 0.002
= 0.04 mm
Graph 1: Stress (kPa) against Strain (%)

700
600
500
400
Stress (kPa) 300
200
100
0

8 10 12 14 16

Strain (%)

From the stress-strain curve and Mohrs circle:

Unconfined compressive strength (qu) = 618 kPa
Cohesion (c) = 309 kPa

DISCUSSION

In the unconfined test, no radial stress is applied to the sample ( 3 = 0).

The load, is increased rapidly until the soil sample fail. The loading is applied quickly

so that the pore water cannot drain from the soil.

The effect stress path is unknown since pore water pressure changes are not normally

measured.
This test is considered as undrained shear test assuming that there is no moisture loss

from the specimen during the test.

The specimen must not certain any fissures, silt seams, varves, or other defects, this

mean that the specimen must be intact, homogenous clay.

Rarely are overconsolidated clays intact, and often even normally consolidated clays
have some fissures.

Undrained shear strength can be related to the consistency of soil. The consistency shows the
type and degree to which the soil particles unify and bond relation to rupture or deformation.
For this sample soil, the consistency of soil is C = 308 kPa. From graph 1, we can see the
behavior of shear stress and at the peak of the graph we obtained unconfined compressive
strength (qu) = 618 kPa. The stress rapidly increase until it reaches the peak point then
gradually decreases down.
Some precautions in this experiment are, when moulding the soil, the experimenter have to
make sure that the soil is nicely compacted in the mould as this might affect the reading of the
shear strength later. Next, when turning the crank for the load, the time to take one full
rotation should be constant because if it is not constant, it will also affect the reading of the
shear strength.

CONCLUSION

The objective of this experiment is achieved because we have determined the undrained shear
strength parameters of the soil, which are; c = 308 kPa and qu = 618 kPa. However, this value
cannot be brought to the field as this experiment is carried on soil that passes the 63 m sieve
while on the field, the diameter of soil varies.
REFERENCES
1. Budhu M. (2011)., Soil Mechanics and Foundations 3rd Edition., USA: John Wiley and
Sons, Inc.
2. Sir Embam Ak Daud, Laboratory Manual, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Uitm
Samarahan Kampus 2.
3. Prof . Krishna Reddy, Engineering Propeties of soil based on laboratory testing,UIC.