A measure of the force required to overcome the friction provided by the cohesive forces between particles in a material, such as rock, sediment or soil. Shear strength is usually measured using the triaxial compression method, in a shearbox, or in the field by a penetrometer (pushed into soil) or a shear vane (inserted into the soil and rotated). [Source: Encyclopedia of Environmental Change; shear strength]
mechanical phenomena
shear strength
concepts