CHAPTER FOUR

STRESSES, STRAINS AND ELASTIC

DEFORMATIONS OF SOILS
Adama Science and Technology University

School of Engineering

Department of Civil Engineering

Dec, 2013
BY SOLOMON A.
Definition of stress and strain
The reaction of a solid body to a force F or a
combination of forces acting upon or within it can be
characterized in terms of its relative deformation or
strain.

The ratio of force to area where it acts is called stress.

Definition of stress and strain

normal stress normal

s = Fn / A strain
shear stress e = dz / zo
t = Fs / A shear strain
g = dh / zo
Note that compressive stresses and strains are positive and
counter-clockwise shear stresses and strains are positive.
 Accurate estimation of stress distribution is essential
for calculations of:
 elastic and consolidation settlements,
 the bearing capacity of soil for shallow and deep
foundations design
 lateral earth pressures for the design of earth-retaining
structures, and of slope stability.
 Total vs. effective stresses

When a load is applied to soil, it is carried by the water

in the pores as well as the solid grains. The increase in
pressure within the pore water causes drainage (flow
out of the soil), and the load is transferred to the solid
grains.
 The rate of drainage depends on the permeability of
the soil.

 The strength and compressibility of the soil depend

on the stresses within the solid granular fabric. These
are called effective stresses.
Stress in homogeneous soil

The total vertical stress acting on a soil element below the ground surface
is due to the weight of everything lying above: soil, water, and surface
loading.

In a homogeneous soil, the total

vertical stress sv on an element with
distance z from the surface is
determined by the weight of the
overlying soil and can be calculated
as:
σz = γz
If the soil is under the water level, in
the bed of a lake or a sea,
σz = γz + γwzw
 Stress in homogeneous soil
Any change in total vertical stress sv may also result in a change of total
horizontal stress sh on the same soil element. There is no simple
relationship between horizontal and vertical stress.

In a homogeneous soil, the total

horizontal stress sh on an element
with distance z from the surface can
be estimated as :


sh  sv
1 
sv is the vertical stress and  soil Poisson’s ratio. Typical values for
Poisson’s ratio are between 0.25 and 0.4. For practical purposes a ratio of sh
/sv = 0.5 provides a good first estimation.
Stress in a multi-layer soil
The total stress sv at depth z

is the sum of the weights of

soil in each layer above.
For example the total
vertical stress sv at a depth z
in layer 3 is

where b1 , b 2 , b3 the bulk density of the layers 1 to 3

d1 , d 2 , d3 the thickness of the layers 1 to 3
Stress in soil with a ‘wide’ surface load

The addition of a surface load will

increase the total stresses below it. If
the surcharge loading is extensively
wide, the increase in vertical total
stress below it may be considered
constant with depth and equal to the
magnitude of the surcharge q.

The vertical total stress at depth z under a wide load q becomes then
σz = γz + q
Stresses in soil from surface load
 Equations have been developed to compute stresses at
any point in a soil mass on the basis of the theory of
elasticity.
 According to elastic theory, constant ratios exist
between stresses and strains.
 The most widely used formulas are the Boussinesq
and Westergaard formulas
 The extent of the elastic layer is one of the following:
 Infinite in the vertical and horizontal directions.
 Limited thickness in the vertical direction underlain with a
rough rigid base such as a rocky bed.
BOUSSINESQ’S FORMULA FOR POINT LOADS

 Assumptions made by Boussinesq for the

determination of vertical stress (σz) at any point P at
depth z as a result of surface point load Q.
 The soil mass is elastic, isotropic, homogeneous and
semi-infinite.
 The soil is weightless.
 The load is a point load acting on the surface
 Soil is Isotropic if there are identical elastic properties
throughout the mass and in every direction through
any point of it.
 Soil is homogeneous if there are identical elastic
properties at every point of the mass in identical
directions.

Vertical pressure within an earth mass

The vertical stress σz, at point P due to a point load Q is
given by

 Where, r = the horizontal distance between an

arbitrary point P below the surface and the vertical
axis through the point load Q.
 z = the vertical depth of the point P from the surface.
WESTERGAARD'S FORMULA FOR POINT LOADS

 Soil is anisotropic

 Where, µ is Poisson's ratio. If µ, is taken as zero for all

practical purposes
Where, Iz is the influence factor equal to 0.637 at x/z - 0.

LINE LOADS

Load from long brick wall

Where, Iz is the influence factor equal to 0.637 at x/z - 0.

 STRIP LOADS
 Load transmitted by a structure of finite width and
infinite length on a soil surface.
 The total stress σz at point P due to a strip load
distributed over a width B (= 2b) may be written as
Where,
and
.

Uniformly Loaded Rectangular Area

q  1 LB LBz  1 1 
sz  s tan    2   q s I r
2  2
 zR3 R3  R1 R2 

where R1  ( L2  z 2 )1 2 , R2  ( B 2  z 2 )1 2 , and R3  ( L2  B 2  z 2 )1 2

1  2mn m 2  n 2  1  m 2  n 2  2  
1  2mn m  n  1 
2 2 
Ir   
 
  tan  zx
4  m  n  m n  1  m  n  1   
 m  n  m n  1 
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

 Where, m  B z and n  L z
Chart for rectangular areal distribution
VERTICAL STRESS BENEATH
UNIFORMLY LOADED CIRCULAR AREA

  3/ 2
   
3/ 2 
1  I c  1  
1  
s z  q s 1   
   qs I c   1  (r0 z ) 2  
  1  (r0 z )  
2
  

is an influence factor
VERTICAL STRESS BENEATH LOADED
AREAS OF IRREGULAR SHAPE
 Newmark (1942) developed a chart to determine the
increase in vertical stress due to a uniformly loaded area of
any shape.
 The radius to depth ratio of the first (inner) circle is
found by setting s z  0.1q s in Equation of circular area,
that is,
  32
1  
0.1q s  q s 1   2 

 1  (r0 z )  

 Every chart should show a scale and an influence

factor IN, which for our case is . 1 (10  20)  0.005
 The procedure for using Newmark’s chart is as
follows
 Set the scale, shown on the chart, equal to the depth at
which the vertical stress is required. We will call this
the depth scale.
 Identify the point on the loaded area below which the
stress is required. Let us say this point is point O.
 Plot the loaded area using the depth scale with point
O at the center of the chart.
 Count the number of segments (Ns) covered by the
scaled loaded area. If certain segments are not fully
covered, you can estimate what fraction is covered.
 Calculate the vertical stress as s z  q s I N N s .