Relation between the critical state friction angle of sands and low vertical stresses in the direct shear test

In this study, the critical state friction angle in a direct shear box was tested at vertical effective stresses between 4 kPa and 150 kPa for seven sands of different origins. The results show a stress dependency on the angle of friction at low vertical stresses, and that the critical state friction angle decreases with increase in the vertical effective stress. The largest drop occurs for vertical effective stresses between 4 kPa and 50 kPa and varies between 4° and 10° depending mostly on the shape of the sand particles and the difference in the extreme void ratios.