Direct Shear Apparatus
Product Code : LSK-SM-10670
Direct Shear Apparatus (SKU LSK-SM-10670) is a motorised, keypad-programmed machine for measuring the shear resistance of soil specimens, consolidated and drained, undisturbed or remoulded. It takes round and square specimens of 60 mm and 100 mm and also runs residual shear tests. Engineering colleges, research institutes and training centres use it. Science Lab Supplies arranges supply from Ambala, India to these institutes and to tender contractors and distributors.
Specifications
Every stated feature of the direct shear machine is set out row by row below. In short, a closed-loop motor with epicycloid reducers drives a ball-track shear box group at 0.00001 to 9.99999 mm/min with up to 5000 N of shear force, and vertical load is applied directly or through a 10:1 lever.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| SKU | LSK-SM-10670 |
| Specimens, round | 60 mm and 100 mm dia |
| Specimens, square | 60 x 60 mm and 100 x 100 mm |
| Direct shear specimen size | 60 x 60 x 25 mm |
| Specimen condition | Consolidated and drained, undisturbed or remoulded |
| Drive | Closed-loop motor with epicycloid reducers |
| Box group | Mounted on a ball track with antifriction system |
| Shear speed | 0.00001 to 9.99999 mm/min |
| Maximum shear force | 5000 N over the whole speed range |
| Vertical load, direct | Up to 500 N |
| Vertical load, lever arm | 10:1 ratio, up to 5500 N |
| Display | Speed and displacement |
| Display resolution | 0.00001 mm |
| Controls | Keyboard and alphanumeric display with self-memory |
| Alarms | Display and pilot lamps signal faults |
| Start-up | Automatic internal check and position reset |
| Travel limit | Settable maximum shear box excursion with automatic stop |
| Residual shear | Separate return speed can be set |
| Power supply | 230 V AC, single phase, 50 Hz |
| Not included | Shear box, hollow punch and tamper |
| Supplied by | Science Lab Supplies, Ambala, India |
Applications and Experiments for the Direct Shear Apparatus
The apparatus finds the cohesion and angle of shearing resistance of soil by shearing a specimen along a fixed plane under several normal loads. A settable maximum box travel stops the test automatically, and a separate return speed allows quick reversals for residual shear strength.
- B.Tech / B.E. civil engineering: direct shear tests on sand and clay to plot the failure envelope, using remoulded specimens compacted in the Automatic Mechanical Soil Compactor.
- M.Tech geotechnical engineering and research: drained and residual strength of undisturbed and remoulded samples, compared with confined results from the Triaxial Test Set.
- Diploma civil engineering and TVET materials testing: shear strength concepts behind slope and foundation design.
Standard Scope of Supply
The machine is supplied with its motorised drive, keypad, display and vertical loading arrangement. The shear box, hollow punch and tamper are not included in the standard supply and must be ordered separately; name the specimen sizes you need and they can be added to the same quotation.
Packing, MOQ and Lead Time
Quotations cover one machine or several units for a teaching lab, each stating the packing, delivery time and price for that quantity. Shear boxes and specimen tools appear as separate lines, which helps buyers of vocational training equipment compare offers item by item.
Science Lab Supplies is registered as an exporter with an Importer-Exporter Code and can ship to buyers in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda. Specimen sizes and loading questions can be raised through the contact page, the machine and its boxes collected in the enquiry cart, and tender requirements filed on the lab tender page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the shear box and specimen tools included?
No. The shear box, hollow punch and tamper are ordered separately. Name the round or square specimen sizes you need so the quotation lists the matching boxes.
Can it run residual shear tests?
Yes. A return speed different from the shearing speed can be set, so the box reverses quickly for the repeated cycles of a residual shear test.
What vertical loads can be applied?
Up to 500 N directly, or up to 5500 N through the 10:1 lever arm, while shear force reaches 5000 N at any speed in the 0.00001 to 9.99999 mm/min range.
Who supplies the Direct Shear Apparatus?
Science Lab Supplies offers the machine from Ambala, India. Engineering colleges, research institutes, TVET centres, contractors and distributors receive an itemised quotation, with the machine and its separately ordered shear boxes shown as individual lines.
Related Soil Strength and Material Testing Equipment
Shear strength work sits beside compressibility, swell, bearing and general materials testing. These items from the Soil Mechanics and Material Testing Equipment ranges extend the bench in those directions, and any of them can be quoted together with the direct shear machine.
- Consolidation Apparatus — oedometer cell with top and bottom porous stones for 60 mm specimens.
- Expansion Index Test Apparatus — 101.6 x 25.4 mm stainless steel ring under a 5.7 kg brass weight.
- Motorised CBR Machine — selectable load speeds listed as 1.27 mm or 1.0 mm.
- Core Cutter — steel cutter driven into the ground with a driving rammer to take cores.
- Laboratory Bench Oven — temperature fluctuation of ±0.75 °C.
- Universal Testing Machine — four-column frame with a hydraulic ram and a digital load meter that stores peak force.
- Double Shear — shear strength of cylindrical specimens, fitted below the loading platform of the testing machine.
Browse the full Soil Mechanics range, the Material Testing Equipment range for materials shear testing, or all TVET lab equipment.
Last updated: 9 October 2026
