Question

Which of the following is a disadvantage of the shear box test?

(a) Stress condition of soil is complex

(b) The test cannot be used for coarse grained soil

(c) No control on the drainage of soil

(d) The shear box test is more complex test

I have been asked this question during an internship interview.

I need to ask this question from Direct Shear Test topic in portion Shear Strength of Geotechnical Engineering I

Answer 1

The correct option is (a) Stress condition of soil is complex

The best explanation: The stress condition across the soil sample is very complex. The distribution of normal stresses and shearing stresses over the potential surface of sliding is not uniform. The entire strength of the soil is not mobilized simultaneously.