Triaxial Compression Test
The Triaxial Compression Test is a thorough laboratory test that measures soil shear strength and stress-strain properties under controlled pressure settings. The test, conducted according to ASTM D4767 and BS 1377-7, is one of the most advanced and flexible procedures for determining how soil would react in actual loading settings. It entails enclosing a cylindrical soil specimen within a membrane and subjecting it to axial loading while maintaining confining pressure. Variants include Unconsolidated Undrained (UU), Consolidated Undrained (CU), and Consolidated Drained (CD) tests, which simulate various field drainage circumstances. This test determines necessary design characteristics such cohesion, internal friction angle, and pore water pressure response. The triaxial test is extremely useful for examining slope stability, embankment design, retaining wall performance, and foundation bearing capacity, especially in important infrastructure and high-risk geotechnical projects.
Advantages of triaxial testing:
- Measures strength characteristics under actual loads.
- Determines the cohesion and internal friction angle.
- Ideal for both undisturbed and remolded samples.
- Assists with slope stability and bearing capacity analysis
- Allows control over drainage and pore pressure.
