Determination of OCR for old alluvium soil using direct simple shear tests

The overconsolidation ratio (OCR) of soil is often determined using the one-dimensional consolidation test. However, this method may not always be applicable to very stiff to hard soils such as the Old Alluvium (OA). To overcome this problem, a method to incorporate the determination of OCR with the shear strength measurement using direct simple shear tests is suggested. Using the proposed method, a relationship between the shear strength to normal stress ratio and the OCR can be established. Based on this relationship, the OCR of soil can be determined. Experimental data obtained from direct simple shear tests on undisturbed OA soil samples are presented to illustrate the application of the proposed method.