The Association and Dissociation Tendencies of the Coaxial and Non- Coaxial Components of Shear Strength of Soils to Environment

Abstract

Soil is rock on its way to ocean. It undergoes many changes during the travel. The important factors which influence the geo-technical behavior of soil are : Grain size and Shape, Gradation, Water, Parent rock materials and Environment. The Geo-technical behavior of fine grains in soil is highly complex than coarse grains. A pure cohesive soil has pure shear or coaxial shear component only. A pure friction soil has Non-coaxial or simple shear component only. Normally a soil sample is a mixture of coarse and fine grains. The shear strength is shared between coaxial and non-coaxial component of the total shear strength of soil. The environment influences the Geo-technical behavior of soil. The coaxial and non-coaxial components of shear strength (coax and non-coax) of soil accepts and adjusts to reach a new equilibrium in stability. In this paper the association and dissociation of coax and non-coax with environmental conditions starting from laboratory and ending in marine environment through examples, illustrations and documented, reliable data available in literature.