Question

Describe the friction and interlocking components of the shear strength of sand?

Answer 1

The shear strength of sand is predominantly influenced by the interlocking and frictional forces between the grains of the sand. Since sands have no cohesion between the particles, they have comparatively low shear strengths.

Interlocking component:The sand is made of grains that have surfaces and the particles lock themselves according to the surfaces. If the texture is rounded,there will be less interlocking forces and if the texture is pointy or rough, the interlocking will be stronger and hence result in higher shear strengths.

Frictional component:The friction between the particles also contributes to the shear strength. The rougher the surface , more will be the friction and hence more the shear strength.The friction also depends upon the normal force and hence the degree of compression of the sands. If the sands are tightly packed, they have higher shear strengths.