CORRECTIONS FOR TRIAXIAL TESTS ON UNDISTURBED SOILS

Triaxial shear tests on cohesive soils involve many sources of error. The membrane compliance, membrane resistance, and variations in cross- sectional area during testing are of significance in evaluating test r esults, especially when the test is conducted under low stress level c onditions. The methods of correction to account for these three source s of error are briefly described and an overall correction procedure b ased on the soil behavior observed during the testing is developed. It is found from correction results that ignorance in making corrections accounting for the three above-mentioned effects will either overesti mate or underestimate sheer strength of the soil by as much as 30%.