Shear strength parameters and Mohr-Coulomb failure envelopes for cement stabilised rammed earth

Cement stabilised rammed earth (CSRE) is a stratified layered construction. The technology is predominantly used in the construction of structural walls in buildings, retaining walls, foundations etc. across the world. There is inadequacy in the study on the shear strength parameters of CSRE and there is hardly any information on Mohr-Coulomb failure envelopes for CSRE. Determining the shear strength parameters of CSRE assumes importance in the analysis of CSRE behaviour under compression and in determining the in-plane shear strength walls. The paper presents the experimental studies on characterising the shear strength parameters and generating the Mohr-Coulomb failure envelopes for CSRE. Triaxial compression tests were performed and the shear strength parameters, cohesion and angle of internal friction were determined in dry and wet conditions. Cohesion of CSRE was found to be a function of cement content. Mohr-Coulomb failure envelopes of the form tau(csre) = c + sigma tan phi were generated. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.