Soil Stress and Pore Water Pressure

UNIT II
 By: Kamal Tawfiq, Ph.D., P.E
Added
Stress
Stress Distribution in Soils
Geostatic
Stress

Geostatic Stresses Added Stresses (Point, line, strip, triangular, circular, rectangular)

Total Stress Westergaard’s Method

Effective Stress (For Pavement)
Pore Water Pressure Bossinisque Equations
1.Point Load
Approximate Method
2.Line Load sy 1:2 Method
Total Stress= Effective Stress+ Pore Water Pressure 3.Strip Load
4.Triangular Load sx
stotal = seff + u 5.Circular Load txy
6.Rectangular Load

Stress Bulbs
Influence Charts Newmark Charts

A
 SOIL WATER AND WATER FLOW
• Soil water – static pressure in water - Effective
stress concepts in soils – capillary stress –
Permeability measurement in the laboratory
and field pumping in pumping out tests –
factors influencing permeability of soils –
Seepage – introduction to flow nets – Simple
problems. (sheet pile and weir).
 Soil Stress and Pore Water Pressure
• The total vertical stress (σv) acting at a point
below the ground surface is due to the weight of
everything lying above i.e. soil, water, and surface
loading
• Total vertical stresses are calculated from the unit
weight of the soil
• Any change in total vertical stress (σv) may also
result in a change in the horizontal total stress (σ
h) at the same point
• The relationships between vertical and horizontal
stress are complex (Δσv ≠ Δσh)
TOTAL VERTICAL STRESS
in homogeneous soil

Ground Level

σv

Depth, z
SOIL
ELEMENT

s v  z σv
TOTAL VERTICAL STRESS
below a river or lake

Water Level
zw
Ground Level

s v  z   w zw
 TOTAL VERTICAL STRESS
in multi-layered soil

Ground Level

z1 Soil1

z2 Soil2

z3 Soil3

s v   1 z1   2 z2   3 z3
 TOTAL VERTICAL STRESS
with a surface surcharge load

Very ‘wide’ surcharge, q (kN/m2)

Ground Level

s v  z  q
 PORE WATER PRESSURE

• The water in the pores of a soil is called pore water.

• The pressure within this porewater is called pore
water pressure (u)
• The magnitude of pore water pressure depends on:
a) the depth below the water table
b) the conditions of seepage flow
 PORE WATER PRESSURE
under hydrostatic conditions (no water flow)

Ground Level

Water Table

u   wZ
 EFFECTIVE STRESS CONCEPT
(Terzaghi, 1923)

s s u '

where

s = Total Vertical Stress

s = Effective Stress
'

u = Pore Water Pressure

VERTICAL EFFECTIVE STRESSES

Water Table Ground Level

s s u '

s  z   w z
'
EXAMPLE 1
Plot the variation of total and effective vertical stresses, and
pore water pressure with depth for the soil profile shown
below
Ground Level

Water Table  sat  18kN/m

.5 3
4m GRAVELY SAND
 B  17kN/m
.8 3
2m

4m SAND  sat  19kN/m

.5 3

5m SAND GRAVEL  sat  19kN/m

.0 3
EXAMPLE 2
The soil layers on a site consists of:
0 – 4 m Gravel-sand (ρsat= 2038 kg/m3; ρB 1957 kg/m3)
4 – 9 m Clay (ρsat= 1835 kg/m3)

Draw an effective stress and total stress profile between 0 –

9m, when the water table is 1m above the top of the clay
EXAMPLE 3
On a certain site a surface layer of silty sand is 4m thick and
overlies a layer of peaty clay 7m thick, which in turn is
underlain by impermeable rock. Draw effective and total
stress profiles for the following condition:
a) Water table at the surface
b) Water table at a depth of 5m, with the silty sand above
the water table saturated with capillary water

Unit weight:
Silty Sand = 18.5 kN/m3
Clay = 17.7 kN/m3
EXAMPLE 4
A confined aquifer comprises a 5m thick of sand overlain by a
4m thick layer of clay and underlain by impermeable rock. The
unit weight of the sand and clay respectively are 19.6 kN/m3
and 18.4 kN/m3. Determine effective overburden stress at the
top and bottom of the sand layer, when the levels of the water
in a standpipe driven through the clay into the sand layer are:
a) at ground surface
b) 1.5m below the ground surface
c) 3.0m below the ground surface
d) 1.5m above the ground surface
e) 3.0m above the ground surface
and hence comment on the effect of changing water
table
EXAMPLE 5
A sediment settling lagoon has a depth of water of 4m above
the clay base. The clay layer is 3m thick and this overlies 4m of
a medium sand, which in turn overlies impermeable rock.
Calculate the effective stresses at the top of the clay and at
the top and bottom of the second layer under the following
condition:
a) Initially, before any sediment is deposited
b) After a 3m layer of sediment of silty fine sand has
been deposited
c) After draining the lagoon down to base level, with
same thickness (3m) of sediment still in place
Unit weight:
Sand = 20 kN/m3; Clay = 18 kN/m3; Sediment = 16 kN/m3
EXAMPLE 6
Plot the variation of total and effective vertical stresses, and
pore water pressure with depth for the soil profile shown
below for the following condition:
a)initially before construction
b)immediately after construction
c)few days after construction
d)many years after construction.

Surface surcharge, q (100 kN/m2)

Ground Level

Water Table
 sat  18.5 kN/m3
4m SAND
2m  B  17.8 kN/m3

CLAY  sat  19.5 kN/m3

 SHORT TERM & LONG TERM STRESSES
a) Initially before construction
Stress distribution profile at its original stage
b) Immediately after construction
The immediately effect after the construction is an increasing in the pore
water pressure – loading is too rapid and not allow any significant out
flow of pore water and the soils are in an UNDRAINED stage
c) Few days after construction
Few days after the construction, the out flow of pore water takes place at the
Sand layer due to its high permeability and the sand is in DRAINED
stage. i.e. excess PWP is dissipated at the Sand layer whereas Clay Layer
is in contrast
d) Many years after construction
After many years, excess PWP will dissipated in clay layer despite its low
permeability and the soils are in drained stage
Hydraulic Conductivity
The ease with which water moves through soils

Strongly responsible for water distribution

within the soil volume.

Determines the rate of water movement in soil.

Texture
Density
Structure
Water content
 Texture
Density
Structure
Water content

Texture – small particles = small pores = poor conductivity

Density – high density suggests low porosity and small pores

Structure – inter-aggregate macro pores improve conductivity

Water content – water leaves large pores first.

At lower water contents, smaller pores conduct
water, reducing conductivity.
Maximum conductivity is under saturated conditions.
Hydraulic Conductivity

Coarse Fine
Un compacted compacted
 Ponded Water

High conductivity
Sand

low conductivity Clay

Measuring Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity

h
A
T
Volume h * A
E time L
R

S
L o
I A
L

Flow Volume
 Volume h * A
time L
h
Volume =K h * A
time L

soil L Vwater

A
A
K = V*L
h*A*t
Constant Head Apparatus
 L y x H

L L
• L is length through the soil
• y is the height of ponded water
• x is the height of water required to lower the
gradient so that y can be maintained.
• Note: if the gradient is 1 then Ks = q as per
Darcy’s Law.
Falling Head Apparatus
  aL   H 2 
Ks    log 
 A(t 2  t 1)   H1 
• a is the cross-sectional area of the burette
• A is the cross-sectional area of the soil column
• t2 – t1 is the time required for the head to
drop from H1 to H2.