This test is performed to determine the consolidated-drained shear strength
of a sandy to silty soil. The shear strength is one of the most important engineering
properties of a soil, because it is required whenever a structure is dependent on the
soil’s shearing resistance. The shear strength is needed for engineering situations
such as determining the stability of slopes or cuts, finding the bearing capacity for
foundations, and calculating the pressure exerted by a soil on a retaining wall.