EXPERIMENT 13

UNCONFINED COMPRESSION (UC) TEST

Purpose:
The primary purpose of this test is to determine the unconfined compressive strength,
which is then used to calculate the unconsolidated undrained shear strength of the clay
under unconfined condi tions. According to the ASTM standard, the unconfined
compressive strength (qu) is defined as the compressive stress at which an unconfined
cylindrical specimen of soil will fail in a simple compression test. In addition, in this test
method, the unconfined compressive strength is taken as the maximum load attained per unit
area, or the load per unit area at 15% axial strain, whichever occurs first during the
performance of a test.

Standard Reference:
ASTM D 2166 - Standard Test Method for Unconfined Compressive Strength of
Cohesive Soil

Significance:
For soils, the undrained shear strength (su) is necessary for the determination of the
bearing capacity of foundations, dams, etc. The undrained shear strength (su) of clays is
commonly determined from an unconfined compression test. The undrained shear strength
(su) of a cohesive soil is equal to one-half the unconfined compressive strength (qu) when
the soil is under the f = 0 condition (f = the angle of internal friction). The most critical
condition for the soil usually occurs immediately after construction, which represents
undrained conditions, when the undrained shear strength is basically equal to the cohesion
(c). This is expressed as:
 q
u
su = c =
2
Then, as time passes, the pore water in the soil slowly dissipates, and the intergranular stress
increases, so that the drained shear strength (s), given by s = c
+ s‘tan f , must be used. Where s‘ = intergranular pressure acting perpendicular to the shear
plane; and s‘ = (s - u), s = total pressure, and u = pore water pressure; c’ and ’ are drained
shear strength parameters. The determination of drained shear strength parameters is given in
Experiment 14

Equipment:
Compression device, Load and deformation dial gauges, Sample trimming equipment,
Balance, Moisture can.
Test Procedure:
(1) Extrude the soil sample from Shelby tube sampler. Cut a soil specimen so that
the ratio (L/d) is approximately between 2 and 2.5.
Where L and d are the length and diameter of soil specimen, respectively.

(2) Measure the exact diameter of the top of the specimen at three locations
120apart, and then make the same measurements on the bottom of the
specimen. Average the measurements and record the average as the diameter on
the data sheet.

(3) Measure the exact length of the specimen at three locations 120apart, and then
average the measurements and record the average as the length on the data sheet.
(4) Weigh the sample and record the mass on the data sheet.

(5) Calculate the deformation (L) corresponding to 15% strain ().

L
Strain (e) =
Lo
Where L0 = Original specimen length (as measured in step 3).

(6) Carefully place the specimen in the compression device and center it on the bottom
plate. Adjust the device so that the upper plate just makes contact with the
specimen and set the load and deformation dials to zero.

(7) Apply the load so that the device produces an axial strain at a rate of 0.5% to 2.0%
per minute, and then record the load and deformation dial readings on the data sheet
at every 20 to 50 divisions on deformation the dial.

(8) Keep applying the load until (1) the load (load dial) decreases on the specimen
significantly, (2) the load holds constant for at least four deformation dial readings,
or (3) the deformation is significantly past the 15% strain that was determined in
step 5.

(9) Draw a sketch to depict the sample failure.

(10) Remove the sample from the compression device and obtain a sample for water
content determination. Determine the water content as in Experiment 1.
Analysis:
(1) Convert the dial readings to the appropriate load and length units, and enter these
values on the data sheet in the deformation and total load columns. (Confirm that
the conversion is done correctly, particularly proving dial gage readings conversion
into load)


(2) Compute the sample cross-sectional area A d2
 
0 4

(3) Compute the strain, ?L

e
L
0
A
' 0
(4) Computed the corrected area, A 
1 e

P
(5) Using A’, compute the specimen stress, s = c
A'
(Be careful with unit conversions and use constant units).

(6) Compute the water content, w%.

(7) Plot the stress versus strain. Show qu as the peak stress (or at 15% strain) of the
test. Be sure that the strain is plotted on the abscissa. See example data.

(8) Draw Mohr’s circle using qu from the last step and show the undrained shear
strength, su = c (or cohesion) = qu/2. See the example data.
EXAMPLE DATA
 UNCONFINED COMPRESSION TEST
DATA SHEET

Date Tested: August 30, 2002 Tested

By: CEMM315 Class, Group A Project
Name: CEMM315 Lab Sample Number:
ST-1, 8’-10’
Visual Classification: Brown silty clay, medium plasticity, moist CL .

Sample data:

Diameter (d) = 7.29 cm

Length (L0) = 14.78 cm
Mass = 1221.4 g
Table 1: Moisture Content determination
Sample no. ST-1, 8-10
Moisture can number - Lid number A
MC = Mass of empty, clean can + lid (grams) 15.6
MCMS = Mass of can, lid, and moist soil (grams) 45.7
MCDS = Mass of can, lid, and dry soil (grams) 39.5
MS = Mass of soil solids (grams) 23.9
MW = Mass of pore water (grams) 6.2
W = Water content, w% 25.94

Area (A0) = p
7.29 = 41..74 cm 2

4
Volume = p  7.292
= 616.9 cm3
14.78
4
1221.4
Wet density = = 1.98 g/cm 3

616.9
Water content (w%) = 25.9 %

Dry density (?d) =

1.98
= 1.57 g/cm 3
 25.9 
1 
 
 100
Table 2: Unconfined Compression Test Data (Deformation Dial: 1 unit = 0.10mm; Proving
Ring No: 24691; Load Dial: 1 unit = 0.3154 lb)

Sample
Deformation Load Dial Strain % Corrected Load Load Stress
Deformation
Dial Reading Reading (e) Strain Area A' (lb) (KN) (kPa)
DL (mm)
0 0 0 0.000 0.000 41.739 0.000 0.000 0.000
20 4 0.2 0.001 0.135 41.796 1.262 56.131 1.343
40 9 0.4 0.003 0.271 41.853 2.839 126.295 3.018
60 12 0.6 0.004 0.406 41.909 3.785 168.393 4.018
80 19 0.8 0.005 0.541 41.966 5.994 266.622 6.353
100 21 1 0.007 0.677 42.024 6.625 294.687 7.012
120 24 1.2 0.008 0.812 42.081 7.571 336.786 8.003
140 26 1.4 0.009 0.947 42. 138 8.202 364.851 8.658
160 29 1.6 0.011 1.083 42.196 9.148 406.949 9.644
180 33 1.8 0.012 1.218 42.254 10.410 463.080 10.959
200 36 2 0.014 1.353 42.312 11.356 505.178 11.939
250 45 2.5 0.017 1.691 42.457 14.196 631.473 14.873
300 54 3 0.020 2.030 42.604 17.035 757.768 17.786
350 64 3.5 0.024 2.368 42.752 20.189 898.095 21.007
400 74 4 0.027 2.706 42.900 23.344 1038.422 24.205
450 84 4.5 0.030 3.045 43.050 26.498 1178.750 27.381
500 93 5 0.034 3.383 43.201 29.338 1305.044 30.209
550 102 5.5 0.037 3.721 43.353 32.177 1431.339 33.016
600 112 6 0.041 4.060 43.505 35.331 1571.666 36.126
650 120 6.5 0.044 4.398 43.659 37.855 1683.928 38.570
700 129 7 0.047 4.736 43.814 40.694 1810.223 41.316
750 138 7.5 0.051 5.074 43.971 43.533 1936.517 44.041
800 144 8 0.054 5.413 44.128 45.426 2020.714 45.792
850 152 8.5 0.058 5.751 44.286 47.950 2132.976 48.163
900 160 9 0.061 6.089 44.446 50.473 2245.237 50.516
950 166 9.5 0.064 6.428 44.606 52.366 2329.434 52.222
1000 171 10 0.068 6.766 44.768 53.943 2399.598 53.600
1100 182 11 0.074 7.442 45.096 57.413 2553.958 56.634
1200 192 12 0.081 8.119 45.428 60.568 2694.285 59.309
1300 202 13 0.088 8.796 45.765 63.722 2834.612 61.939
1400 209 14 0.095 9.472 46.107 65.931 2932.841 63.610
1500 217 15 0.101 10.149 46.454 68.454 3045.103 65.551
1600 223 16 0.108 10.825 46.806 70.347 3129.300 66.856
1700 229 17 0.115 11.502 47.164 72.240 3213.496 68.134
1800 234 18 0.122 12.179 47.527 73.817 3283.660 69.090
1900 240 19 0.129 12.855 47.896 75.710 3367.856 70.315
2000 243 20 0.135 13.532 48.271 76.656 3409.954 70.642
2200 250 22 0.149 14.885 49.039 78.864 3508.184 71.539
2400 253 24 0.162 16.238 49.831 79.811 3550.282 71.247
2600 255 26 0.176 17.591 50.649 80.442 3578.347 70.650
2800 256 28 0.189 18.945 51.495 80.757 3592.380 69.762
3000 254 30 0.203 20.298 52.369 80.126 3564.314 68.062
 SAMPLE: ST-1, 8'-10'

80
70
Axial Stress (kPa)

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Axial Strain (%)

From the stress-strain curve and Mohr’s circle: Unconfined

compressive strength (qu) = 72.0 KPa Cohesion (c) = 36.0

KPa
BLANK DATA SHEETS
 UNCONFINED COMPRESSION TEST
DATA SHEET

Date Tested:
Tested By:
Project Name:
Sample Number:
Visual Classification:

Sample data:

Diameter (d) =
Length (L0) =
Mass =

Table 1: Moisture Content determination

Sample no.
Moisture can number - Lid number
MC = Mass of empty, clean can + lid (grams)
MCMS = Mass of can, lid, and moist soil (grams)
MCDS = Mass of can, lid, and dry soil (grams)
MS = Mass of soil solids (grams)
MW = Mass of pore water (grams)
W = Water content, w%

Area (A0) =
Volume =
Wet density =
Water content (w%) =
Dry density (?d) =
Table 2: Unconfined Compression Test Data (Deformation Dial: 1 unit = 0.10mm; Proving
Ring No: 24691; Load Dial: 1 unit = 0.3154 lb)

Sample
Deformation Load Dial Strain % Corrected Load Load Stress
Deformation
Dial Reading Reading (e) Strain Area A' (lb) (KN) (kPa)
DL (mm)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
900
950
1000
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
2200
2400
2600
2800
3000
 180

160

140
Axial Stress (kPa)

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Axial Strain (%)

100

90

80

70
Shear Stress (kPa)

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Normal Stress (kPa)

From the stress-strain curve and Mohr’s circle:

Unconfined compressive strength (qu) = Cohesion (c)