Abstract: A serious of direct shear tests on granitic residual soil samples from Fuzhou Software Park Project with SDJI direct test device. This device is electrically powered and strain controlled and has three different shearing speed. The objective of this study was to establish the relationship among the shear strength and the various dry densities as well as different moisture contents. The test results indicate that, under the same dry density, the cohesion and internal friction angle are proportional to the moisture content when the moisture content is low. When the moisture content exceeds a threshold value, the shear strength parameters are inversely proportional to the moisture content. The threshold moisture content is close to the optimum moisture content in the Proctor Test. Under the same moisture content, the shear strength parameters are linearly proportional to the dry density.

Key words: Moisture Contents, Dry Density, Shear Strength