Invention and application of a new simple shear apparatus with stacked steel sheets for fine grained soil

A new simple shear apparatus is invented for fine grained soil building upon existing designs. Some rectangular-stacked steel sheets are used for the new simple shear apparatus. The internal dimensions of the steel sheets are 100 mm in length, 40 mm in width. It effectively eliminates common issues such as sample tilting and uneven stress distribution during shear testing in conventional circular ring-type single shear apparatuses. The pin type deformation control rod can ensure uniform shear deformation of the specimen. The guiding side plate around the laminated specimen chamber controls the directionality of the shear force. The new lever support structure effectively solves the problem of load rod force transmission because the lever is tilted. The single shear apparatus features stable structure and ease of operation. It combines stress/strain control functions into one unit, allowing for uniform shear testing of fine-grained soils. Shear strength tests and deviatoric creep tests of clay are carried out using the new simple shear apparatus. Meanwhile, the parameters of shear strength and the laws of creep are analyzed. The test results validate the good performance of the new simple shear apparatus.