Studi Pengaruh Derajat Kejenuhan Terhadap Kuat Geser Tanah

Soil strength characteristics are strongly influenced by its physical and mechanical properties, one of which is shear strength. Soil shear strength is affected by cohesion (c), internal friction angle (ϕ), and soil moisture conditions. In open-pit mining conditions, soil moisture content is greatly influenced by rainfall and water seepage, which can increase the degree of saturation within the soil mass. An increase in the degree of saturation generally leads to a rise in pore water pressure, thereby reducing the effective normal stress and resulting in a decrease in soil shear strength. This study aims to determine the effect of the degree of saturation on soil shear strength. This research employs a quantitative method to analyze the influence of the degree of saturation under three conditions (natural, dry, and saturated) on soil shear strength through laboratory testing using the direct shear test. The tests conducted include soil physical properties testing in accordance with SNI 1965-2008, specific gravity testing based on SNI 1964-2008, and soil shear strength testing following SNI 3420-2016. The results indicate that the average degree of saturation under natural conditions is 64.63% with a cohesion value of 7.4 kN/m², under dry conditions is 33.18% with a cohesion value of 8.2 kN/m², and under saturated conditions is 83.08% with a cohesion value of 3 kN/m². It can be concluded that a higher degree of saturation or more saturated soil samples result in lower cohesion values, whereas a lower degree of saturation or drier soil samples lead to higher cohesion values.