Influence of height and boundary conditions in simple shear tests

Abstract

The simple shear test is widely used in offshore soil characterization studies. Results are presented from a series of monotonic simple shear tests on clay in which the boundary conditions and sample height to diameter ratio were varied. The boundary conditions investigated include using wire reinforced and un-reinforced membranes, using rough platens, and using rough platens with a small rim around the perimeter. It will be shown that the boundary conditions can have a significant effect on the observed stress-strain response, particularly at large strains. This is in contrast to other work reported in the literature which indicates that boundary effects are not significant. The reasons for the boundary effects will be discussed, and results from numerical analyses will be presented to provide some insight into the problem. The paper concludes with some recommendations for the conduct and interpretation of simple shear tests.