ABSTRACT
The shear strength behaviour of an unsaturated granite residual soil were investigated using consolidated drained (CD) and constant water content b (CW) triaxial tests with special emphasis on the effect of the matric suction. Shear strength parameters (c′, φb ) were evaluated using two-dimensional graphical and numerical methods. It was found that a linear relationship can be correlated between shear strength and matric suction. The value of c′ obtained using the graphical method is almost invariably greater than that obtained using the numerical method. However, both methods give similar values of φb . The c′ values obtained in this study are significantly different from tests on saturated soil.
