Stresses in Soils Due to Applied Loads

Assist. Prof. Dr. Sevket C. Bostanci

 Contents
• Estimation of the state of stress at a point in a
given soil mass is a major problem in
geotechnical analysis.

• A load acting on a soil mass creates stresses

within the soil, regardless of whether the load
is internal (assume weight of soil) or external
(applied loading).
• Consider an elemental cube of soil at the point
where stresses are to be calculated
Principal Stresses acting at the point considered
• Fortunately many geotechnical structures
operate in a state of plane strain.
 Stresses in the ground
• In order to assess whether a soil is likely to fail or
to calculate the deformation in a soil it is necessary
to know both what the stresses are before loading
and how they might change due to some loading
event

• As the stresses change so the strength of the soil

might change, shear stresses are induced and
deformations take place
 Stresses in the ground
• For uniform loading over a large lateral extent
the increases in vertical stress are simply
established as being equal at all depths to the
applied pressure.
Stress due to uniform loading
q

sv sv

Stress distribution with depth

 Stress due to finite loaded areas
• In reality most loads due to civil engineering works are
not infinite in extent or any approximation to it.

• The stresses in the ground due to a finite loaded area

will not be the same as those due to a loaded area of
“large” lateral extent.

• From intuition it would be expected that the increase in

stress would reduce both with depth and towards the
edge of the loaded area. This is indeed the case.
 Boussinesq Stress Distribution
• Boussinesq analysed the problem of a point load applied
to the surface of a semi-infinite elastic half-space.

P
 

R
Z
sz

sr
r
s

 Boussinesq (cont)
• The vertical stress at any point in the elastic solid
due to the surface point load is expressed as:

• The radial stress and the tangential stress at any

point in the elastic solid can also be expressed in
a similar form:
 Stresses due to Loaded Areas
• Most civil engineering situations do not involve purely
point loads. However, because the solid (soil) can be
treated as elastic then the effect of a loaded area can be
treated as being made up of a number of point loads.

• Adopting the principle of superposition, the effect of a

loaded area can be approximated by summing the results
of a number of point loads
 Stresses due to Loaded Areas
• The Boussinesq solution is therefore integrated over the whole
of the loaded area to enable the calculation of the stress at
any point in the elastic solid (soil) due to the surface loading

• Many researchers have presented solutions based on

Boussinesq, see Newmark (1942), Fadum (1948) for example.

• Most foundations are placed in the soil and therefore are not
strictly surface loads. Mindlin (1936) presented solutions for
point loads applied within an elastic solid. These solutions are
more complex.
Stresses due to regular shaped loaded areas
Stress Under the Centre of Regular Shaped Loaded Areas
Mean Stress under
Regular Loaded
Areas
• Referring to figure below, these stresses at X due
to a point load Q on the surface are as follows:
vertical, radial, circumferential and shear stress
20
21
 Stresses due to a uniformly-loaded
rectangular area
• This is the most widely used application in civil
engineering.

• The solution is given in terms of the increase in

vertical stress Δσz beneath one corner of a flexible
rectangular area carrying a uniform load q (kN/m2)
 Stresses due to a uniformly-loaded
rectangular area
The expression is as follows:
Δσz = q . Ir
• Where Ir, the influence factor, for rectangular areas
depends on the length, L, and breadth, B of the
loaded area, and the depth Z of the point at which
the stress is required.

• To allow quicker analysis, use Fadum(1948) chart

which plots a set of curves for Ir against m and n
25
 Contact Pressure
• The contact pressure in a soil surface is the
intensity of loading transmitted from the
underside of a foundation into the soil.

• The distribution of contact pressure is affected

by both the rigidity of the footing and the
stiffness of the foundation soil.
Exercise

• A uniformly distributed load of 150 kN/m2 acts on the

surface of the rectangular area as shown.
• Calculate the increase in vertical stress at a depth of 3
m beneath point A shown. Use Fadum’s chart
 Solution
• Dive the area into 2 rectangles
• use Fadum(1948) chart which plots a set of
curves for Ir against m and n where

- m = B/z
- n = L/z
• Answer = 30 kN/m2
Exercise

• The footing shown in figure carries a UDL of 250 kN/m2 over the
shaded area and 150 kN/m2 over the un-shaded area.

• Determine the increase in vertical stress at a point 3 m below the

corner A. Use Boussineaq’s point load influence factor equation.
• Divide the loaded area into small rectangles of
sides 1m x 1m and treat them as point load.
43
 2 MT
2 MT

1500 KN

5 MT

44
46
47
48
3 MT 49
The End