Foundation Engineering Allowable Bearing Capacity and Settlement

Vertical Stress Caused by a Rectangularly Loaded

Area
Consider we want to calculate the vertical stress increase at point A in figure
below:
We calculate the vertical stress increase at point below the corner of
rectangular loaded area as following:
Δσ􀭸 = qI
I = Influence factor = f(m, n) (From Table 5.2 P. 228 and 229)
m=
B
Z
,n=
L
Z
B: Smaller dimension , L: Larger dimension

Elastic Settlement Calculation (Main topic of this chapter).

3. Consolidation settlement calculation (Ch.11 in soil mechanics course).
Δσ􀭸,􀭅 =
3. P. Z􀬷
2π(r􀬶 + Z􀬶)
􀬹􀬶
, and the same at any point.
r = 􀶥X􀬶 + Y􀬶
X , Y and Z are measured from the point of applied load as shown in figure
above.
Note: If there are more than one point load applied on the soil profile at
different positions , you should calculate Δσ􀭸 for each load

Stress Due to a Circularly Loaded Area:

If we want to calculate the vertical stress below the center of the circular
foundation or at any point at distance (r) from the center of the foundation,
do the following:
Let R =
B
2
= Radius of circular area
r = distance from the center of the foundation to the required point
z = depth of point at which the vertical stress increas is required
We can calculate the value of 􁉀Δ􀮢􀱰
􀭯􀱥
􁉁 from (Table 5.1 P. 226) which gives the
variation of 􁉀Δ􀮢􀱰
􀭯􀱥
􁉁 with 􁉀 􀭰
􀭆/􀬶􁉁 and 􁉀 􀭸
􀭆/􀬶􁉁 􁉄For 0 ≤ 􁉀 􀭰
􀭆/􀬶􁉁 ≤ 1􁉅
q􀭭 = the stress at the base of the foundation 􀵬
column load
foundation area
􀵰
Note that, if the value of 􁉀 􀭰
􀭆/􀬶􁉁 = 0.0 →The point is below the center of the
foundation