A Cylinder Shear Apparatus

Abstract

Abstract Studies of the interface between soil and an element of structure are actively carried out, considering the importance of the behavior of such interfaces in civil engineering applications such as deep foundations, retaining structures, and soil reinforcement. In the past a wide variety of different testing devices have been used, such as the modified direct or simple shear apparatus, pull-out devices, and annular shear apparatuses. Here a new shear device, the cylinder shear apparatus, is presented that has been designed to enhance our shear testing possibilities. This new shear device allows, as ring shear devices, significant shear displacements with an improved homogeneity of the interface. It allows also the control of the normal confining stress, stress control in a direction parallel to the interface, and visualization of the interface kinematics. The cylinder shear apparatus gives also the possibility of performing tests with natural granular material and/or with Schneebeli's rollers, with dry, saturated, drained and undrained samples and continuous pore fluid pressure monitoring.