Which test is particularly useful for soils with low shear strength?

The Vane Test is particularly useful for soils with low shear strength because it specifically assesses the undrained shear strength of soft, cohesive soils. This test involves inserting a vane into the soil and then rotating it to measure the torque required to break the soil structure and obtain a shear failure.

In conditions where the soil is soft and has low cohesive strength, such as silts and clays, traditional testing methods may not provide reliable results; the Vane Test offers a direct measurement of the shear strength under undrained conditions. This is critical in various engineering applications, such as foundation design or assessing the stability of earthworks, where understanding the properties of weak soils is paramount.

The other tests have their own merits but are not as effective in situations where low shear strength is a prominent factor. For example, the Unconfined Compression Test measures the compressive strength of cohesive soil but may not accurately reflect the undrained conditions of low shear strength soils. The Triaxial Test is versatile and can be adjusted for different conditions, but it requires more complex setups and is not specifically tailored to low shear strength scenarios. The Direct Shear Test is useful for assessing shear strength, but it generally applies to scenarios where soils have some level of