The Vane Test in Organic Soils: Reply

Abstract

Solving these two simultaneous equations, one can get Sv and S,. The vane inserted at 45 to the vertical may give the strength along that direction, but to determine the strengths along any other direction (say i to the vertical), a parallel test will have to be conducted in a perpendicular direction. The same equations as above can be used to compute the shear strengths in the i direction and at (90 i) direction, from the torques at failure in the two directions. The difference in strength, determined by the 45 in-situ vane and the vane inserted into the block sample at 45 may be due to the stress release effects and sample disturbance effects besides the other reasons mentioned by the authors. It is also possible due to the difference in the mechanism of failure in the two tests. The complexities involved in evaluating directional strengths by special vanes such as the 45 vane has been discussed by Bhaskaran (1971).