Undrained Shear Strength - Index or Soil Property

[nbr1]

Since Su depends on the rate of loading; is it considered an index of soil strength or a material property? My recollection is that it is an index of soil strength.

 

[moe333]

It is a material property but the test conditions need to mimic or somehow account for the field conditions such as rate, anisotropy, extension/compression, palne strain, etc.

 

[mudman54]

s_u is stress dependent; therefore it is typically normalized to the effective stress of the overburden at depth of the sample. you're going to get different s_u for different test methods as well.

 

[fattdad]

It'd be considered engineering judgement, 'cause the strain at failure must be considered for engineering performance.

f-d

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