Critical State Soil Mechanics (Geotechnical Design) Assignment

Critical State Soil Mechanics (Geotechnical Design) - Assignment Example esting, one study established the shear apparatus that the successive students used in studying the conditional changes in the shear zone both in clay and sand soils. Another study that obtained the soil ob the Cambridge data of a simple apparatus of shear test and on triaxial tests resulted into the publication of a critical state concept. The critical state theory was developed from the understanding of the soils that go through shearing. In the mechanics of the critical soil, clear shear strength would be showed when the soil experiences the shear at a constant volume, which is referred to as the critical state (Figure 1) (Heyman, 2008). In this case, there are three identified shear strengths for a soil that goes through shear. These are the peak strength, constant volume strength or the critical state, and the residual strength. Peak strength happens at a critical state depending on some initial state of the particles of soil that are sheared. A given loose soil would have its volume contracted during shearing, and would not develop the peak strength in high critical states. This means that the peak strength would be similar to the critical shear strength state when the soil stops the contraction. Such soils can be considered to have no distinct peak strength. The soils that are dense have slight contraction, and the granular interlock inhibits more contraction. For the shearing to be continued once the granular interlock occurs, the soil should dilate. Since addition shear force would be needed for dilation, peak strength would occur. If the peak strength resulting from dilation is overcome by the shearing, the p rovided resistance by soil would occur. Critical state has three parameters. These include the peak strength (, Critical state (), and the residual strength). Peak strength happens at or before the critical state. It is depended on the initial condition of the soil that is experiencing the shear. The critical state is considered being inside the