CHAPTER TWO

Stress Distribution in Soil

 Stress Distribution
Stress: is defined as the force across a small boundary per unit area of that
boundary, for all orientations of the boundary
 Stress in soil is caused by:
 Self weight
 Surface (structural)
load

 When a structure is erected on a

 The vertical stress on element A soil, it transmits its weight as a load
can be determined simply from the to the foundation
mass of overlying material
 The foundation, in turn, imposes
loads on the soil
 Why is it important to compute stress distribution?
 Almost all civil engineering structures eventually
come into contact with soil via their foundation

 Construction of a foundation causes changes

in the stress, usually a net increase

 The net stress increase in the soil depends on

the load per unit area to which the
foundation is subjected, the depth below the
foundation at which the stress estimation is
desired

 Engineers need to be able to estimate induced

stress (net increase of vertical stress) in the soil
as a result of construction of a foundation in
order to predict how the soil will react to those
stress
 Stress at a point in stressed soil mass

 The soil element subjected to vertical and lateral stress (principal stress)
acting perpendicular to the three plane (σzz, σyy and σxx)
 In addition, there are also shear stress on each plane (σxz, σxy , σyx , σyz ,
σzx and σzy)

 In practice we are primarily concerned

only with the vertical stresses imposed.
That is because all these structures
normally have their weights and as we
know the weights are transmitted
vertically down. Therefore primarily the
stresses imposed on the soil are vertical
 Stress in soil due to surface load

 Available methods for estimating induced stresses in the soil:

 Elastic Methods

 Simplified (approximation) Method

 Stress in soil due to surface load
 Elastic Method
 Assumptions:
 Semi-infinite
 Linear soil behaviour
 Elastic soil behaviour
 Isotropic conditions (i.e. Ex = Ey)
 Homogenous (i.e. same soil property throughout)

 The elasticity methods includes:

 Boussinesq’s Formula
 Wastergaard Formula
(reading assignment)
 Newmark chart method
(reading assignment)
 Stress in soil due to surface load

 Types of external load distribution

 Types of load area

 Circular
 Rectangular or square
 Arbitrary shape
 Stress in soil due to surface load
Boussinesq’s Formula
 Vertical stress caused by point load
• According to Boussinesq’s analysis, the vertical stress increase at point A caused
by a point load of magnitude P is given by

Where, Ib influence factor

 r/z r/z r/z r/z

Influence factor Ib as a
function of r/z
 Example
 Calculate the vertical stress increase at point B due to point load
shown in figure below

P1 = 150 kN P1 = 125 kN P1 = 150 kN

3m
B
4m 4m

10
 Stress in soil due to surface load
• The vertical stress distribution on a horizontal plane at depth of z below the
ground surface

 Intensity of stress
decreases with depth

 Intensity of stress
decreases radially from
the point load

• An stress isobar is a line which connects all points of

equal stress below the ground surface. In other words, an
isobar is a stress contour
• Pressure at points inside the bulb are greater than that at a
point on the surface of the bulb; and pressures at points
outside the bulb are smaller than that value.
 Stress in soil due to surface load
• The procedure for plotting an isobar for particular intensity (σz = 0.1Q) is as
follows:

Q
 Stress in soil due to surface load
• A number of isobars for any given load system can be drawn, but the one that is
of practical significance is the one which encloses a soil mass which is
responsible for the settlement of the structure

• It is generally assumed that an isobar of 0.1Q represent the

zone with in which the tress has significant effect on
settlement of structure

• The depth of this stressed zone may be termed as

the significant depth which is responsible for the
settlement of the structure
 Stress in soil due to surface load
 Vertical stress caused by line load
Table 6.3 Variation of Ds/(q/z) with x/z (Das, FGE 2006).

This equation can

be rewritten as
 Example
 Following figure shows two line loads acting at the ground
surface. Determine the increase in vertical stress at point A, which
is located at depth of 1.5 m

15
 Stress in soil due to surface load
• But engineering loads typically act on areas and not points or lines
• Boussinesq solution for line load was thus integrated for a finite area
 Vertical stress caused by strip load b b

Where:

  sin  cos(  2 )
q Ds = Change in Vertical Stress
Ds  q = Load per Unit Area
 z = Depth
x = Distance from Line Load
• The term strip loading will be used to indicate a loading that has a finite width
along the x axis but an infinite length along the y axis
 Stress in soil due to surface load
Variation of Ds/q with z/b and x/b (Das, FGE 2006).
 Example
 Determine vertical stress at depth of 5 m under vertical uniform
load q = 500 KN/m2 at point A where x = 3 m from center of strip
footing if the width of strip footing B= 4.0m

18
 Stress in soil due to surface load
 Vertical stress under a circular area
• Beneath the centre of load
 Stress in soil due to surface load
 Vertical stress under a circular area
• At any point

Where A’ and B’ are a function of

z/R and r/R
 r/R
z/R
A’
B’

21
 Example
 Circular foundation diameter 10 m with uniform load q = 150
KN/m2. Determine σz at point I, II at depth 10 m.

22
 Stress in soil due to surface load

 Vertical stress beneath the corner of a rectangular area

B L
3qz 3 ( dxdy )

Ds  ds   
y 0 x 0
2 ( x  y  z )
2 2 2 5/ 2
 qI 2

Where:
Ds = Change in Vertical Stress
q = Load per Unit Area
z = Depth
 2mn m 2  n 2  1  m 2  n 2  2 
 2  
 
1  m  n  m n  1  m  n  1 
2 2 2 2 2

I2   
4   2mn m 2  n 2  1  
  tan  2 
1
 
 m  n 2
 m 2 2
n  1 
 

B L
m  ;n 
z z
Variation of I2 as function of m and n

24
Graph for determining
influence value for vertical
normal stress σz at point P
located beneath one
corner of a uniformly
loaded rectangular area.
(After Fadum, 1948)

25
 Stress in soil due to surface load
 Vertical stress under uniformly loaded rectangular area
The increase in the stress at any point below a rectangular loaded area can
be found by dividing the area into four rectangles. The point A’ is the corner
common to all four rectangles

Ds  q  I 2(1)  I 2(2)  I 2(3)  I 2(4) 

Point outside of rectangular area (point O):

Ds  q CD1OB1  DD1OA1  BB1OD 2  AA1OD 2

 Example
 Determine vertical stress at depth 4.0 m under vertical uniform
load equal 150 KN/m2 under point K..

27
 Stress in soil due to surface load
 Vertical stress due to embankment loading
Vertical increase in the stress in soil mass due to an embankment of height
H may be expressed as
29
 Stress in soil due to surface load

 Simplified 2:1 (approximation) Method

 This method just assumes that stress is distributed

evenly at a 2V:1H distribution with depth

 Therefore, if a load is applied on a rectangular

with dimension B and L, the stress on the soil at
depth Z is considered to be uniformly distributed
on an area with dimension (B+Z) and (L+Z)

 The stress at a given depth is uniform over the stressed area. In reality, however,
stress directly beneath the foundation will be higher than beneath edges

 Hence it underestimate stress directly beneath the foundation and overestimate it

as we go to the edge. Only good for preliminary assessment
 Stress in soil due to surface load
• The size and depth of pressure bulbs depends on the size and shape of the
loaded area: