GATE 2023 CE (CE1) – Question 32
A drained direct shear test was carried out on a sandy soil. Under a normal stress of 50 kPa, the test specimen failed at a shear stress of 35 kPa. The angle of internal friction of the sample is _______ degree (round off to the nearest integer).
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Correct answer: 35
Explanation
For a sand, $c = 0$, so $\tau = \sigma\tan\phi$. Then $\tan\phi = \frac{35}{50} = 0.7$ and $\phi = 35°$.