5/31/2023

STRESSES IN A SOIL MASS

(CHAPTER 10) (PART-1)

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

SUIT, PESHAWAR
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2
CONTENTS

• Normal and Shear Stress on a Plane (Mohr Circle Method)

• Stress caused by a Point Load (Westergaard’s Method)
• Vertical Stress caused by a vertical line load
• Vertical Stress Caused by a Vertical Strip Load (Finite Width and Infinite Length)
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CONTENTS

• Vertical Stress Below the Center of a Uniformly Loaded Circular Area

• Vertical Stress Caused by a Rectangular Loaded Area
• Stress Isobars
• Influence Chart
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4 NORMAL AND SHEAR STRESS ON A PLANE

(MOHR CIRCLE METHOD)
Mohr Circle Method
• On 𝜎, 𝜏 graph locate the center of Mohr-Circle using the Equation:
𝜎𝑥 + 𝜎𝑦
2
• With O as center draw a circle with radius R equal to:
2
𝜎𝑥 + 𝜎𝑦 2
+ 𝜏𝑥𝑦 (a) Consider the soil element with
2
normal and shear stress on it (b)
• Locate the points R as 𝜎𝑥 , 𝜏𝑥𝑦 and M 𝜎𝑦 , −𝜏𝑥𝑦 Free body diagram of EFB
• This shows stress condition on AD and AB respectively. OM represents plane AB
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5 NORMAL AND SHEAR STRESS ON A PLANE

(MOHR CIRCLE METHOD)

(a) Consider the soil element with normal and shear stress on it (b) Free body diagram of EFB
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6 NORMAL AND SHEAR STRESS ON A PLANE

(MOHR CIRCLE METHOD)

Mohr Circle Method

• OM represents plane AB. Now with reference to this
plane 2𝜃 in CCW. This touches the circle at Q and
shows the stress condition at plane EF.
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7 NORMAL AND SHEAR STRESS ON A PLANE

(MOHR CIRCLE METHOD)

Principal Plane and Principal Stress

There are two planes that are perpendicular to each other
where the shear stress is zero.
The plane where the shear stress is zero is called principal
plane while the stress is called principal stress.
The principal stress is either major or minor principal stress
as given:
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8 NORMAL AND SHEAR STRESS ON A PLANE

(MOHR CIRCLE METHOD)
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EXAMPLE PROBLEM
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EXAMPLE PROBLEM
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EXAMPLE PROBLEM
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STRESS CAUSED BY A POINT LOAD

❖The stress at a point in a soil mass due to a surface point load is determined by
Boussinesq’s Theory

• homogeneous, isotropic linearly elastic half space and

❖Westergaard’s Theory considers

• infinitely thin elastic layers of soil.

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13 STRESS CAUSED BY A POINT LOAD

• Where r = 𝒙𝟐 + 𝒚𝟐

• L= 𝒙𝟐 + 𝒚 𝟐 + 𝒛𝟐 = r = 𝒓 𝟐 + 𝒛𝟐

• µ = Poisson’s ratio
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14 STRESS CAUSED BY A POINT LOAD

• Note that in above Eqs. of 𝜎𝑥 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜎𝑦 which are the expressions for horizontal normal
stresses, depend on the Poisson’s ratio of the medium. However, the relationship for the
vertical normal stress, 𝜎𝑧 is independent of Poisson’s ratio. The relationship for 𝜎𝑧 can be
rewritten as
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15 STRESS CAUSED BY A POINT LOAD

• The variation of 𝐼1
for various values of
r/z is given in Table
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EXAMPLE PROBLEM
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EXAMPLE PROBLEM
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Vertical Stress Caused by a Vertical

Line Load
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VERTICAL STRESS CAUSED BY A VERTICAL LINE LOAD
Figure 10.8 shows a vertical
flexible line load of infinite
length that has an intensity
q/unit length on the surface
of a semi-infinite soil mass.
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VERTICAL STRESS CAUSED BY A VERTICAL LINE LOAD
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Vertical Stress Caused by a Horizontal Line Load

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25 Figure shows a horizontal flexible line load on the surface of a semi-infinite soil mass. The vertical
stress increase at point A in the soil mass can be given as
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26 Variation of 𝜎𝑧 /(q/z) with x/z

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Vertical Stress Caused by a Vertical Strip Load (Finite

Width and Infinite Length)
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VERTICAL STRESS CAUSED BY A VERTICAL STRIP LOAD (FINITE WIDTH AND INFINITE LENGTH)

• Consider an element strip of width dr.

• The total load per unit length of this strip is: 𝑞𝑑𝑟
• This strip can be considered as a line load.
• Now we know that vertical stress increase due to a line load is:
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VERTICAL STRESS CAUSED BY A VERTICAL STRIP LOAD (FINITE WIDTH AND INFINITE LENGTH)

Now substitute 𝑞 = 𝑞𝑑𝑟 and 𝑥 = 𝑥 − 𝑟. So we get:

Integrating the above Equation with limits of r from B/2 to B/2. We get the total
increase at Point A as:
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VERTICAL STRESS CAUSED BY A VERTICAL STRIP LOAD (FINITE WIDTH AND INFINITE LENGTH)

∆𝜎𝑧
• Check Table 10.4 for the variation of with 2z/B for 2x/B.
𝑞
• This table can be used conveniently for the calculation of vertical stress at a
point caused by a flexible strip load.
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34 0.334 66.8
0.409 81.8
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Vertical Stress Below the Center of a Uniformly Loaded

Circular Area
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• Using Boussinesq’s solution [Eq. (10.12)] in the book.

• From Figure, let the intensity of pressure P on the circular area of

radius R be equal to q.
• The total load on the elemental area (shaded in the figure) is equal to
𝑞𝑟𝑑𝑟𝑑𝛼

Vertical stress below the center of a

uniformly loaded flexible circular area
VERTICAL STRESS BELOW THE CENTER OF Vertical Stress at Any Point Below a
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A UNIFORMLY LOADED CIRCULAR AREA Uniformly Loaded Circular Area
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Vertical Stress Caused by a Rectangular Loaded Area

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• Boussinesq’s solution also can be used to calculate the vertical

stress increase below a flexible rectangular loaded area, as shown
in Figure 10.20.
Consider a small elemental area dx dy of the rectangle. (This is
shown in Figure 10.20.) The load on this elemental area can be
given by
𝑑𝑞 = 𝑞𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦
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42 VERTICAL STRESS CAUSED BY A RECTANGULAR

LOADED AREA

Replace P with 𝑑𝑞 as in the equation and 𝑟 2 with 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 . Thus

The increase in the stress, at point A caused by the entire loaded area can now be determined by integrating the
preceding equation. We obtain
 VERTICAL STRESS CAUSED BY A RECTANGULAR 5/31/2023

LOADED AREA
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EXAMPLE PROBLEM 5/31/2023

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45 STRESS ISOBARS

• An isobar or pressure bulb is a stress contour or a line which

connects all points below the ground surface at which the vertical
pressure is the same.
•
In fact, an isobar is a spatial curved surface and resembles a bulb in
shape; this is because the vertical pressure at all points in a horizontal
plane at equal radial distances from the load is the same.
• Thus, the stress isobar is also called the ‘bulb of pressure’ or simply
the ‘pressure bulb’. The vertical pressure at each point on the pressure
bulb is the same.
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46 INFLUENCE CHART FOR VERTICAL

PRESSURE
The increase in the stress at point A caused by the entire
circular loaded area can be given as:

Now if we arrange this Equation, it can be write as:

R/z and ∆𝜎𝑧 /𝑞/ in are nondimensional quantities (Table 10.10)

INFLUENCE CHART FOR VERTICAL PRESSURE
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• Using the above Equation Newmark developed an influence chart to find the stress
at a given depth an any shape of foundation. ∆𝜎𝑧 /𝑞 R/z For z=1, R
0 0 0
0.1 0.2698 0.2698
0.2 0.4005 0.4005
0.3 0.5181 0.5181
0.4 0.6370 0.6370
0.5 0.7664 0.7664
0.6 0.9176 0.9176
0.7 1.1097 1.1097
0.8 1.3871 1.3871
0.9 1.9084 1.9084
1.0 ∞ ∞
CONSTRUCTION OF NEWMARK CHART
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A circle of radius R1, divided into 20 equal sectors.

The vertical stress at a point below the center of the
circle at depth z due to a uniform load on one sector
will be equal to 1/20th of that due to the load on the
entire circle.
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49 STRESS CALCULATION AT A DEPTH USING

NEWMARK (1942) INFLUENCE CHART
1. Determine the depth z below the uniformly loaded area at which the stress increase is
required.
2. Plot the plan of the loaded area with a scale of z equal to the unit length of the chart (𝐴𝐵
).
3. Place the plan (plotted in step 2) on the influence chart in such a way that the point
below which the stress is to be determined is located at the center of the chart.
4. Count the number of elements (M) of the chart enclosed by the plan of the loaded area.
The increase in the pressure at the point under consideration is given by
 Determination of stress at a point by
use of Newmark’s influence chart 5/31/2023
EXAMPLE
PROBLEM
For depth z= 1.5 m assume as = 1 cm
50 Influence of each unit is equal
Draw the cross section as (2 cm * 2 cm) on
Stresses beyond chart are zero.
tracing paper
For depth z= 2 m assume as = 1 cm
Draw the cross section as (1.5 cm * 1.5 cm)
on tracing paper
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The End………………