What is the primary factor affecting the shear strength of granular soils?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the primary factor affecting the shear strength of granular soils?
Pore water pressure
Soil density
Friction angle
Plasticity index
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the primary factor affecting the shear strength of granular soils?
Step 1: Understand what shear strength means. Shear strength is the ability of a material to resist sliding or shearing forces.
Step 2: Know that granular soils are made up of small particles, like sand or gravel.
Step 3: Learn that the friction angle is a measure of how much these particles resist sliding against each other.
Step 4: Realize that the higher the friction angle, the stronger the soil is against shearing forces.
Step 5: Conclude that the friction angle is the primary factor affecting the shear strength of granular soils because it describes the inter-particle friction.
