TOPIC 1 : STRESS DISTRIBUTION,

COMPRESSIBILITY AND
SETTLEMENT OF SOILS
Stress Distribution, Compressibility and
Settlement of Soils
1A : Stress Distribution in Soils
OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Contact Pressures
1.3 Methods of Estimating Stress
Distribution
1.4 Types of Loading system
1.5 Stress Distribution due to
Different Loads
1.6 Bulbs of Pressure Chart
1.7 Newmarks Chart
Stress Distribution in Soils
Introduction

Imposing load on the surface of the soil

will create stresses within the mass. The
loading transferred to the soil mass will
be spread laterally with increasing depth
from the point or area of application.

With increasing depth, the area

over which new stresses develop
will increase but magnitude will
decrease.
Stress Distribution in Soils
How the stress is perceived to be
distributed from the surface to a
point in the soil mass.
Stress Distribution in Soils
Factors affecting stress distribution
:
Size and shape of footing

Load distribution

Contact pressure depends on the rigidity

of footing and stiffness of foundation soil
Modulus of Elasticity and Poissons ratio
Position of rigid boundary
 Stress Distribution in Soils
Effect of Soil Type on Contact Pressure

Contact pressure varies with the rigidity of foundation

and the stiffness of soil beneath the foundation.
Pressure
Distribution Description
Diagram
Footing on hard soil or rock
Due to high stiffness modulus,
the load is distributed to a
relatively small area since a high
intensity of stress can develop.
Stress Distribution in Soils
Effect of Soil Type on Contact Pressure
Pressure
Distribution Description
Diagram

Footing on stiff soil

Load is distributed laterally which
produces lower values of contact pressure

Footing on soft soil

The contact pressure on soil
beneath the foundation is
distributed almost uniformly.
Stress Distribution in Soils
Effect of Footing Rigidity on Contact Pressure
The distribution of pressure depending on footing
rigidity

Pressure Distribution
Description
Diagram
Flexible footing

Uniformly loaded footings of

perfect flexibility will
theoretically distribute a
uniform contact pressure in
compressible soil.
Stress Distribution in Soils
Effect of Footing Rigidity on Contact Pressure
Pressure Distribution
Diagram Description

Rigid footing on cohesive soil

A higher contact pressures will be
transmitted while settling uniformly.
However, extremely high edge stresses
cannot occur since the soil passes some
of its load inwards and produces the
arc-like distribution.
Rigid footing on cohesionless soil
Less contact pressure at the edges of
footing but higher at mid-footing due
to higher confining pressure. Uniform
settlement will occur in this case.
Stress Distribution in Soils

Boussinesq Stress Distribution

19 th.- century French mathematician

assumed soil as homogeneous, isotropic

(same properties in all directions) and
elastic.

publish solutions (1885) for stresses beneath

a point load applied at the surface
Stress Distribution in Soils

Following the footsteps of Boussinesq, other

solutions were developed for both stresses and
displacements relating to different types of
loading, layers of thickness, multi-layered
masses and internally loaded masses:

Newmark, 1942

Ahlvin and Ulery, 1962

Giroud, 1970
Poulos and Davis, 1974 and others
Stress Distribution in Soils

Westergaard Stress Distribution

more suitable for thin layers of

stratified deposits

assumed that thin layers of a homogeneous

and anisotropic material sandwiched
between closely spaced, infinitely thin
sheets of rigid material.

permit compression but no lateral

deformation

formula different from Boussinesq.

Stress Distribution in Soils
Methods of Estimating Stress
Distribution
Boussinesqs method

Westergaards method

Newmarks chart

Bulbs of Pressure chart

Stress Distribution in Soils
Types of Loading

Point load
based on Boussinesq
based on Westergaard

Line load

Triangular load

Strip load
Uniformly loaded circular area
Uniformly loaded rectangular area
Stress Distribution in Soils
Load Distribution
1.1 Stresses due to a point load

P
z 2 I P
z
5/ 2
3 1
where IP 2
2 1 ( r / z )
Variation of stress due to a point load
(a)Variation with depth
Variation of stress due to a point load
(b) Variation with radial offset (r)
Table 1.1: Influence factors (Ip) for
vertical stress due to a point load (P)
Ex. 1 : Stresses due to a Vertical Point Load
Four column loads of 980 kN, 800 kN, 550 kN and 700 kN
respectively are located at the corners of a square of 4 m side on the
surface of a soil mass. A culvert passes diagonally across the square,
directly under the 980kN and 550kN load, and a depth ( to its top) of
4 m. Calculate the vertical stress imposed on the culvert due to the
980 kN load by using

i) formula for the influence factor is IP = 3 1 5/2

2 1 + (r/z)2
ii) influence factor (IP) table.
800kN 550kN

980kN 700kN
4m

4m
1.2 Stresses due to the line load

Q
z I Q
z
2z 2
where IQ
( x 2 z 2 )2
Horizontal thrust on a rigid structure due to a line load
Table 1.2: Influence factors (IL) for
vertical stress due to a line load (Q)
Stresses due to a Long Line Load
Ex. 2 : Figure below shows two line loads and a point
load acting at the ground surface. Determine the
increase in vertical stress at point A, which is
located at a depth of 1.5 m.
P = 30 kN Q2 = 10 kN/m Q1 = 5 kN/m

3m

2m
2m
z = 1.5 m

A
Stresses due to a Long Line Load
Solution:

z z 1 z 2 z 3

2Q1z 3 2Q 2 z 3 3P z3


x z 2
1
2 2

x z2
2
2 2

2 r 2 z 2
5
2

251.5 2101.5330
3 3
1 .5 3

2 2 1.52 4 2 1.52 2 32 42 1.52 2
2 2 5

0.275 0.065 0.012

0.352 kN m2
1.3 Stresses due to a uniform strip load
Strip loading results
from strip
foundations to walls,
retaining walls, etc.

The length of a strip

load is very large
compared with the
breadth.

the longitudinal
strain can be
assumed to be zero.
Influence factors (Is) for vertical stress due to
a strip load
Influence factors (Is) for vertical stress due to a
strip load
Stresses Due to a Strip Load
Example 1.3
Three parallel strip foundation, each 1.8 m wide and 3.6 m apart
centre to centre are founded at 1.2 m depth transmit contact
pressures of 240 kPa, 180 kPa and 200 kPa respectively. Using the
table of influence factor, Is , calculate the intensity of vertical stresses
due to combined load beneath the centre of each footing at a depth of
3.0 m from the ground surface.

240kPa 180kPa 200kPa 1.2m

3m

A 3.6m B 3.6m C
Stresses Due to a Strip Load
Solution:
1.4 Stresses due to a triangular load
A triangular load occurs when the contact pressure varies linearly across the
breadth of the strip from zero to a maximum value.e.g. below the sloping sides of
an embankment.
The vertical stress z is given by z = qIT where IT obtainable from
influence factor (IT) table.
Triangular Strip Load Distribution
Example 1.4

60 kN/m

CC B A
3m 10 m 3m

z
A
CL 5m
SOLUTION:
z=5m
Vertical start point A.
z x z I s q
b b Is (kN/m2)
Center 5 1 5 1
(B) 5 5 0.48 28.8
z x
c c
Right
slope
5 1.67 3 1 0.172 10.32
3 3
(A)
Left
slope
5 1.67 13 4.33 0 0
3 3
(C)
TOTAL 39.12

Note : The method laid out in Worked Example 6.3 (pg198 whitlow) is
very similar, but is attempted by considering the angle and .
1.5 Stresses due to a uniformly loaded
circular area

For a uniformly loaded circular areas, e.g.

raft foundations, tank bases, etc., the
basic Boussinesq expressions are
integrated over the area.
An exact solution can be found for the
increase in vertical stress under the
centre, but for points offset from the
centre an approximate method has to be
used.
Stresses Due to a Uniformly Loaded
Circular Area

a a
z = qIc =q (A+B)
r
Parameters = r/a & z/a

a) Stress beneath centre of circle

b) General vertical stress case
R
z

Example 1. 5 : See worked example 6.4 r z

--- Page 199 (Text book)
r
Influence factors (A and B) for vertical stress
due to a uniformly loaded circular area.
1.6 Stresses due to a uniformly loaded
rectangular area

L
Most widely used
in soil engineering
design. B

Component stress
can be obtained by
integrating the z
Boussinesq
z = q IR
expressions

Ex. 6 : See worked example 6.5 --- Page 200 (Text book)
Fadums Chart

Take note that the values

of m ( =L/z) and n ( =B/z)
are interchangeable !!
Influence factors (IR) for vertical stress under
one corner of a uniformly loaded rectangular area.
1.7 Pressure bulbs
for vertical stress
(a) Circular foundation
(b) Strip foundation
Pressure bulbs indicating depth to which soil is
significantly stressed
1.8 Newmarks Chart

Following a specific
procedure the increase in
stress below a foundation
(any shape) can be estimated
using Newmarks chart.

The plan of the foundation is

drawn to scale as of the
chart and the point where
the stress to be found is
placed at the centre of the
Newmarks chart.

Newmarks Chart
Stress Distribution in Soils
Text

1. Roy Whitlow, Basic Soil Mechanics, 4th Edition 2001, Prentice

Hall

References

1 David F. McCarthy, Essentials of Soil Mechanics and

Foundations, 5th Edition, 1998, Prentice Hall

2. Braja M. Das, Principles of Geotechnical Engineering, 4th

Edition, 1998, PWS Publishing Company

3. G. N. Smith and Ian G. N. Smith, Basic Soil Mechanics, 7th

Edition, 2000, Blackwell Science