Abstract
The three-dimensional strength behavior of compacted decomposed granite soil was studied using cubical triaxial tests with independent control of the three principal stresses. All specimens were loaded under conditions of principal stress direction fixed and aligned with the directions of compacted plane. For comparable test conditions, the major principal strain and volume strain to failure were smallest when the major principal stress acted perpendicular to the compacted plane. The opposite extremes were obtained when the major principal stress acted parallel to the compacted plane. In cubical triaxial tests with same b values and with ${\theta}$ values in one of three sectors of the octahedral plane, independent of the range of ${\theta}$, higher friction angles are obtained in tests with b greater than in triaxial compression tests in which b 0.0, Comparison between the results of the drained cubical triaxial tests on lksan compacted decomposed granite soil and the cross section of the Mohr-Coulomb failure surface as well as the cross section of the Mohr-Coulomb failure surface were made. Lade's isotropic failure criterion based on vertical specimens overestimates the strengths for tests performed with values of 0 between 90˚ and 1 50˚ the Mohr-Coulomb criterion generally underestimates the strengths of tests performed with values of ${\theta}$ between $0^{\circ}$ and $180^{\circ}$ except around the $120^{\circ}$.
