Review of Experimental Testing Methods of Soil Tensile Strength

The tensile strength of soil is significantly lower thanits compressive and shear strengths, leading to its frequent neglect in theoretical and experimental research. This paper provides a comprehensive review of both direct and indirect methods for measuring soil tensile strength, comparing and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of existing testing techniques. Our findings indicate the following: (1) The uniaxial tensile strength of soil can be categorized into vertical and horizontal methods based on the direction of applied force. The vertical method’s accuracy is compromised by the weight of the soil sample above the failure plane. (2) Common methods for securing soil samples include bonding, anchoring, friction, and clamping, with clamping proving to be more convenient and practical than the other techniques. We recommend optimizing the horizontal uniaxial tensile test due to several issues, such as soil sample loss during preparation and demolding, uneven stress distribution across the tensile section, inapplicability to large-aggregate gravelly soils, cumbersome sample fixation, and challenges in minimizing friction between the soil sample and the testing platform.