Test press for Direct Shear Apparatus
Direct shear apparatus for soil testing to ASTM D3080, available in manual, semi-automatic and electric automatic models.
The Biopdi direct shear apparatus performs the direct shear test of soils according to ASTM D3080/D3080M: the specimen, in a 60 or 100 mm split shear box, is consolidated under constant normal stress and sheared slowly under drained conditions to obtain the cohesion c' and the friction angle φ' that define the shear strength of the soil in the design of retaining structures, foundations and slopes.
There are three models: the manual, with a proving ring and a lever arm for weights; the semi-automatic, with a load cell, LVDTs, motor and touchscreen; and the electric automatic, electromechanical, with 10 kN (2,248 lbf) capacity, speed from 0.0001 to 20 mm/min, two load cells and two LVDTs, which performs consolidation and shearing without operator intervention.
The step-by-step test procedure, including the Mohr-Coulomb failure envelope calculation, is in the article on the direct shear test.
Direct Shear Apparatus - Manual and Semi-automatic
Direct shear apparatus - electric automatic
Standards met
The direct shear apparatus for soil testing meets the following standards:
There is no specific NBR (Brazilian standard) for direct shear testing of soils, so laboratories in Brazil follow ASTM D3080. ISO 12957-1, sometimes associated with this test, is a standard for geosynthetics: it measures the friction between a geotextile or geogrid and the soil, and it cannot be used to determine the c' and φ' of a soil. The Brazilian version, ABNT NBR ISO 12957-1, was withdrawn in January 2026.
For other standards, get in contato our technical team.
Biopdi has its own technology to develop, manufacture and sell any type of soil testing equipment, so any machine parameter can be customized for our customers. Get in contato to learn more.
Videos
Videos about the direct shear apparatus for soil testing, presenting the main features of the equipment.
Model features
Main features of the direct shear apparatus for soil testing.
Manual
This version has a proving ring with a 500 kgf (4.9 kN) capacity to measure the shear force, a lever for weights of up to 1,000 kgf (9.8 kN) to apply the normal stress, a shear box, a dial indicator on the specimen to measure the change in height, a dial indicator to measure the horizontal displacement, and rubber feet.
Semi-automatic
This version has a load cell with a 500 kgf (4.9 kN) capacity, a lever for weights of up to 1,000 kgf (9.8 kN) to apply the normal stress, a shear box, an LVDT on the specimen to measure the change in height, an LVDT to measure the horizontal displacement, a motor for automatic, controlled application of the shear stress and the normal stress, and a touchscreen to set the test parameters.
Automatic electric
This version is electromechanical, with a capacity of 10 kN (2,248 lbf) and two axes with ball screws: the vertical axis applies the normal force, with constant-load control, and the horizontal axis applies the shear force, from 0.0001 to 20 mm/min. Two load cells measure the normal and shear forces, two LVDTs measure the horizontal displacement and the change in height, and the touchscreen runs the consolidation and shearing stages automatically, recording the test on an SD card.
Manual / Semi-automatic
The weight lever, under the bench, applies the normal force; the shear box holds the test specimen; the load cell, to the right of the box, measures the shear force (in the manual version, this reading is taken on the proving ring); and the dial indicator, at the top, measures the change in height.
Automatic electric
The machine: electric automatic apparatus
The figures below come from the specifications manual of the electric automatic apparatus (CDL-10kN): the assembled machine, the main components labeled, and the rear connection panel, where the two load cells and the two LVDTs are connected.
Touchscreen
Biopdi's electric automatic direct shear apparatus has a touchscreen that handles all the settings needed to run the tests, from the consolidation stage to the shearing stage.
Tests are run directly on the touchscreen, which saves them to an SD memory card for later use on a desktop or laptop computer.
The test on screen, step by step
Four screens of the current interface show the path of the test: axis control before mounting the test specimen, the setup of the consolidation phase, the shear phase chart and the data read during the test.
Main touchscreen functions
Control Screen
- Zero (tare) of shear force, normal force and horizontal and vertical displacements
- Specimen carrier jogging with the arrow keys
- Horizontal axis speed (0.0001 to 20 mm/min)
- Home: both axes return to the initial position
- Monitoring of limit switches and load cells
Test setup
- Test name
- Specimen area in mm² (3,600 to 10,000 mm²)
- Automatic stop at maximum shear force (N)
- Automatic stop at maximum horizontal displacement (mm)
Consolidation phase
- Target stress in kPa, held constant
- Consolidation time in minutes (or zero, to skip the phase)
- Data acquisition every 0.05 to 5 mm of vertical displacement
- Vertical displacement × time plot
Data acquisition during shearing
- By time interval (s)
- Or by horizontal displacement interval (mm)
Shearing phase
- Shear stress (kPa) plot during the test
- Shear stress and normal stress (kPa)
- Horizontal and vertical positions (mm)
- Specimen area corrected in real time
Technical specifications - Automatic electric model
Technical specifications of the automatic electric direct shear apparatus.
Types of tests
- Consolidated drained direct shear test (ASTM D3080/D3080M): in the 60 or 100 mm box, the test specimen consolidates under the normal stress and is sheared at the rate calculated from the consolidation; with three or more normal stresses, it gives the failure envelope τ = c' + σ'·tan φ'.
- Consolidation phase in the shear box itself: the automatic version holds the target stress constant and records the vertical displacement over time, which gives the t50 that sets the shear rate. The full compressibility curve is obtained on the consolidation press (see the article on the consolidation test).
For more details on the direct shear test, visit our articles page. When the problem calls for drainage control or pore pressure measurement, the appropriate test is the triaxial test.
Load cells
Load cells available for the automatic electric direct shear apparatus, up to a capacity of 1,000 kgf (9.8 kN).
Fixtures and accessories
Fixtures and accessories used on the direct shear test apparatus.
LVDT (displacement transducer)
Linear variable displacement transducer: in the automatic version, one LVDT measures horizontal displacement and another measures the change in specimen height.
Load Cell
Measures the applied force: in the automatic version, one load cell on the vertical axis (normal force) and another on the horizontal axis (shear force).
Proving Ring
Measures the shear force on the manual direct shear machine.
Shear Box
Split shear box in brass and stainless steel, 60 or 100 mm, with loading cap, specimen cutter, porous stones and serrated grid plates.
100 mm shear box (DES-AA-0010-000)
100 × 100 mm test specimen (area of 10,000 mm²).
60 mm shear box (DES-AA-0010-001)
60 × 60 mm test specimen (area of 3,600 mm²).
Both boxes are made of brass with stainless steel parts and come with handles, cap, sample cutter, body, porous stone, grooved plate, perforated grooved plate, lower sample plate and load pad.
The shear cell, part by part
The first figure, from the automatic apparatus manual, shows the assembled shear cell with numbered parts. The other four come from the manual of each box: the exploded view, with the name of each part, and the drawing with the external dimensions.
Direct shear machine technical specifications
Summary of the automatic electric version, based on the equipment manual; the manual and semi-automatic versions are described above.
| Models | Manual, semi-automatic and automatic electric |
|---|---|
| Test | Direct shear test of soils, consolidated drained (ASTM D3080/D3080M) |
| Drive (automatic) | Electromechanical, two axes with recirculating ball screws |
| Capacity (automatic) | 10 kN (2,248 lbf) |
| Shear rate | 0.0001 to 20 mm/min |
| Return speed | 20 mm/min, automatic return |
| Travel | 20 mm on the horizontal axis; 10 mm on the vertical axis |
| Force measurement | Two load cells: vertical (normal) and horizontal (shear) |
| Displacement measurement | Two LVDTs, horizontal and vertical; 0.001 mm resolution on the horizontal axis |
| Shear boxes | 60 × 60 mm and 100 × 100 mm, in brass and stainless steel (area from 3,600 to 10,000 mm²) |
| Data acquisition | By time or by displacement (0.05 to 5 mm during consolidation) |
| Automatic stop | At maximum shear force (N) or at maximum horizontal displacement (mm) |
| Operation and data | Touchscreen display; tests recorded on an SD card |
| Power supply | 220 V, 550 W |
| Dimensions and weight | 1,042 × 352 × 528 mm; 125 kg |
| Warranty | 12 months against manufacturing defects |
The dimension drawing in the manual shows the automatic machine from the front and from the side, with the external dimensions in millimeters.
Frequently asked questions
The most common questions about the direct shear machine.
What is a direct shear apparatus used for?
It is used for the direct shear test of soils: the specimen, placed in a split shear box, is consolidated under constant normal stress and sheared slowly under drained conditions. With three or more specimens tested under different normal stresses, you obtain the cohesion c' and the friction angle φ', used in the design of slopes, retaining structures and foundations.
Which standard covers the direct shear test?
ASTM D3080/D3080M, current edition D3080/D3080M-23e1. In Europe, ISO 17892-10 applies. There is no specific Brazilian NBR standard for direct shear testing of soil. ISO 12957-1 and ABNT NBR ISO 12957-1 (the latter cancelled in 01/2026) cover the friction of geosynthetics, not the shear strength of soil.
What are the capacity and speed range of the automatic apparatus?
The electric automatic direct shear apparatus has a capacity of 10 kN (2,248 lbf) and a shear speed of 0.0001 to 20 mm/min, with 20 mm of travel on the horizontal axis and 10 mm on the vertical axis. The slow range covers drained shearing of clays, where the speed is derived from the t50 of consolidation.
How is force measured during the test?
In the electric automatic version, by two load cells: one on the vertical axis, measuring the normal force, and one on the horizontal axis, measuring the shear force. Displacements are measured by two LVDTs, horizontal and vertical. In the manual version, the shear force is read on a proving ring and the displacements on dial gauges.
Which shear box sizes does Biopdi supply?
Two split shear boxes in brass and stainless steel: 100 × 100 mm and 60 × 60 mm. Each comes with a cap, specimen cutter, body, porous stone, grooved plates (one perforated), bottom plate and loading pad. The apparatus screen accepts areas from 3,600 to 10,000 mm², matching exactly these two boxes.
Does the apparatus perform consolidation before shearing?
Yes. In the automatic version, the operator sets the target stress in kPa, which the apparatus holds constant, and the consolidation time; the vertical displacement × time plot is shown on screen. When this phase ends, the apparatus moves on to shearing by itself, at the programmed speed.
What is the difference between the manual, semi-automatic and automatic apparatus?
In the manual version, the normal stress comes from weights on a lever arm, the shear force is read on a proving ring and the displacements on dial gauges. The semi-automatic version keeps the lever arm, but measures with a load cell and LVDTs and has a motor and a touchscreen. The electric automatic version applies both forces with motors, measures with two load cells and two LVDTs, and performs consolidation and shearing without operator intervention.
How is the test data recorded?
The touchscreen records each test on an SD card, which is then read on a computer. Data acquisition is set by time interval or by displacement interval, and the screen shows the stresses, positions and corrected specimen area in real time.
Other soil testing equipment
See also our other soil testing equipment.
Test guides: triaxial test, resilient modulus, CBR test and Marshall test.
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