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IS 11229:1985 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for shear box for testing soils. This standard specifies the material requirements, dimensions, and constructional details for the shear box apparatus used in conducting direct shear tests on soil samples. It covers the main components including the shear box assembly, porous stones, grid plates, and loading pad.
! This standard only defines the apparatus; the procedure for conducting the direct shear test is detailed in IS 2720 (Part 13).
! Maintaining the tight clearance (max 0.25 mm) between the two halves of the box is critical for accurate shear test results, as a larger gap can introduce significant errors.
! The condition of the porous stones is crucial; they should be regularly checked for clogging and saturation to ensure proper drainage during a consolidated drained test.
Standard Test Method for Direct Shear Test of Soils Under Consolidated Drained Conditions
Defines a test method which includes detailed specifications for the shear box apparatus.
ISO 17892-10:2018International Organization for Standardization, International
HighCurrent
Geotechnical investigation and testing — Laboratory testing of soil — Part 10: Direct shear tests
Specifies the equipment and procedures for direct shear tests, serving as a modern international benchmark.
BS 1377-7:1990British Standards Institution (BSI), UK
HighCurrent
Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purposes. Shear strength tests (total stress)
Describes the test method for direct shear, including requirements for the shear box apparatus.
AS 1289.6.2.2-2020Standards Australia, Australia
HighCurrent
Methods of testing soils for engineering purposes - Method 6.2.2: Soil strength and consolidation tests - Direct shear test using a shear box
Provides the Australian methodology and apparatus requirements for the direct shear test.
Key Differences
≠IS 11229 is a dedicated standard for the apparatus (shear box) only, while international standards like ASTM D3080 and ISO 17892-10 are test method standards that include apparatus specifications within them.
≠IS 11229 specifies only one square specimen size (60 x 60 mm), whereas international standards are more flexible, permitting various square (e.g., 100 x 100 mm) and circular (e.g., 50 to 100 mm diameter) specimen sizes.
≠IS 11229 prescribes specific materials like brass or gunmetal, while modern standards like ISO 17892-10 adopt a performance-based approach, specifying properties like 'corrosion-resistant' without mandating the exact material.
≠The dimensional tolerances in IS 11229 (e.g., ±0.2 mm for plan dimension) are generally less strict than those specified in ISO 17892-10, which bases tolerances on a percentage of the dimension (e.g., ±0.2% of the nominal width).
Key Similarities
≈All standards are based on the same fundamental principle: a rigid box split into two halves that allows a soil specimen to be sheared along a predefined horizontal plane.
≈The core components specified are identical across all standards, including the two-part shear box, porous plates/stones, a loading cap for normal stress application, and a container for submerging the specimen.
≈The conceptual mechanism for applying a constant normal load and a controlled rate of horizontal shear displacement is consistent across all standards.
≈The common 60 mm x 60 mm square specimen specified in IS 11229 is also a widely used and accepted size in equipment conforming to international standards, even if they allow other options.
Parameter Comparison
Parameter
IS Value
International
Source
Primary Specimen Plan Dimensions
60 x 60 mm (square)
Commonly 60x60mm, 100x100mm (square), or 50mm to 100mm (circular)
ISO 17892-10:2018
Primary Specimen Height
25 mm
Typically 20 mm to 25 mm, with a recommended width-to-height ratio.
ASTM D3080 / D3080M-20
Material of Shear Box
Brass, gunmetal, or other non-corrodible material of sufficient strength.
Corrosion-resistant material (e.g. stainless steel, brass, bronze, or coated aluminum).
ASTM D3080 / D3080M-20
Internal Plan Dimension Tolerance
± 0.2 mm (on 60 mm side)
Shall not deviate from nominal by more than 0.2% (± 0.12 mm on 60 mm side)
ISO 17892-10:2018
Internal Height Tolerance (per half box)
± 0.1 mm (on 12.5 mm height)
Shall not deviate from nominal by more than 0.5% (± 0.063 mm on 12.5 mm height)
ISO 17892-10:2018
Rigidity of Shear Box
The box shall be sufficiently rigid to prevent distortion during shearing.
Deformation in the direction of shear shall not exceed 0.3% of the specimen diameter/width.
ISO 17892-10:2018
Porous Plate Permeability Requirement
Permeability shall be considerably greater than that of the material being tested.
Permeability should be at least one order of magnitude (10x) greater than the soil's permeability.
ASTM D3080 / D3080M-20 (Note 8)
⚠ Verify details from original standards before use
Key Values6
Quick Reference Values
Internal dimensions of shear box60.0 ± 0.1 mm square
Internal depth of each half of box25.0 ± 0.1 mm
Thickness of porous stones6.0 ± 0.5 mm
Gap between two halves of boxNot to exceed 0.25 mm
Diameter of perforations in grid plate2.0 ± 0.1 mm