Chapter 4 - Part I - Vertical Stress

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Course Module:
ECG3223
GEOTECHNICS
Chapter 4
Part I
Stress Distribution and
Settlement
PowerPoint® Slides by
Last Updated: April 2020 © LMS SEGi Education Group Dr. Azlinda Saadon
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
Chapter 4: Stress Distribution and Settlement
introduced students on the:
1. Vertical stresses in soil due to foundations.

2. Calculation of stresses due to applied loads on
foundations.
3. Immediate settlement.
4. Consolidation settlement.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. To introduce the basic concept of stress distribution

and settlement in foundations.
2. To calculate the vertical stresses due to applied loads.
3. To calculate the immediate settlement on
foundations.
4. To calculate the consolidation settlement on
foundations.
CONTENTS
This chapter consist of the following topics:
For Stress Distribution (1st Part)
1. Introduction to vertical stress distribution.

2. Stress due to a Concentrated/Point Load.
3. Stress due to a Circularly Loaded Area.
4. Stress due to a Vertical Line Load.
5. Stress due to a Horizontal Line Load.
6. Stress below a Vertical Strip Load (Finite width and Infinite
length).
7. Stress below a Rectangular Area.
8. Average Vertical Stress Increase due to a Rectangular Loaded Area.
9. Average Vertical Stress Increase below the Center of a Circularly
Loaded Area.
10. Stress Increase under an Embankment.
1. Introduction
 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, and other factors.
 It is necessary to estimate the net increase of vertical stress in soil that occurs as a
result of the construction of a foundation so that settlement can be calculated.
 The settlement calculation procedure is discussed in more detail in the 2nd part of this
Chapter.
 In many cases, the allowable settlement of a shallow foundation may be

controlled by the allowable bearing capacity.
 The allowable settlement is controlled by local building codes.
 Thus, the allowable bearing capacity will be the smaller of the following two
conditions:
 As mentioned before, for the calculation of foundation settlement, it is
required that we estimate the vertical stress increase in the soil mass due
to the net load applied on the foundation.
 Hence, the general principles for estimating the increase of vertical

stress at various depths in soil due to the application of the following (on
the ground surface) will be discussed in this chapter:
 A point load / concentrated

 Circular loaded area
 Vertical line load
 Horizontal line load
 Strip load
 Uniformly loaded rectangular area
 Uniformly loaded circular area
 Embankment type of loading
2. Stress due to a Point / Concentrated Load
 Boussinesq (1883) solved the problem of stresses produced at any point in a
homogeneous, elastic, and isotropic medium as the result of a point load applied
on the surface of an infinitely large half-space.
According to Figure 1, Boussinesq’s solution for

normal stresses at a point caused by the point
load P is:
(Eq. 1)
Figure 1 Vertical stress at point A caused by a point

load on the surface. However, the relationship for the vertical stress,
Δσz can be rewritten as:
(Eq. 2)
where,
(Eq. 3)
 The variation of I1 for various values of r/z is given in Table 1.
Table 1
Example 1: Stress below a Point Load
Consider a point load P = 5 kN (Figure 1). Calculate the vertical stress increase (Δσz) at
z = 0, 2 m, 4 m, 6 m, 10 m, and 20 m. Given x = 3 m and y = 4 m.
3. Stress due to a Circularly Loaded Area
 The Boussinesq Eq. 1 can also be used to determine the vertical stress below the
center of a flexible circularly loaded area, as shown in Figure 2.
 Let the radius of the loaded area be B/2, and let qo be the uniformly distributed load
per unit area.
 To determine the stress increase at a point A, located at a depth z below the center of
the circular area, consider an elemental area on the circle.
 The load on this elemental area may be taken to be a point load and expressed as qo r
dθ dr.
 The stress increase at A caused by this load can be determined from Eq.1 as:
(Eq. 4)
Figure 2 Increase in pressure under a

uniformly loaded flexible circular area. PowerPoint® Slides by
 The total increase in stress caused by the entire loaded area may be obtained by
integrating Eq. 5, or
(Eq. 5)
 Similar integrations could be performed to obtain the vertical stress increase at A’,
located a distance r from the center of the loaded area at a depth z (Ahlvin and Ulery,
1962).
 Table 2 gives the variation of Δσ/qo with r/(B/2) and z/(B/2) [for 0 < r/(B/2) < 1].
 Note that the variation of Δσ/qo with depth at r/(B/2) = 0 can be obtained from
Eq. 5.
Table 2
4. Stress due to a Vertical Line Load
 Figure 3 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.
 The vertical stress increase, Δσ, inside the soil mass can be determined by using the principles
of the theory of elasticity, or
According to his analysis, the vertical stress increased at

point A caused by a point load of magnitude P is given by,
(Eq. 6)
This equation can be rewritten as,
(Eq. 7)
Note that Eq. (2.5) is in a nondimensional form.
Using this equation, we can calculate the variation of

Δσ/(q/z) with x/z. This is given in Table 3.
Figure 3 Line load over the surface of a semi- The value of Δσ calculated by using Eq. 7 is the additional
infinite soil mass. stress on soil caused by the line load.
The value of Δσ does not include the overburden pressure of
the soil above point A. PowerPoint® Slides by
Table 3
Example 2: Stress below a Line Load
Figure Exp. 2(a) shows two line loads on the ground surface. Determine the increase of
stress at point A.
Figure Exp. 2(a) (a) Two line loads on the ground

surface.
SOLUTION
Refer to Figure Exp. 2(b). The total stress at A (using Eq. 6) is :
(Eq. 6)
Figure Exp. 2(a) (a) Two line loads on the ground surface; (b) use of
superposition principle to obtain stress at point A .
5. Stress due to a Horizontal Line Load
 Figure 4 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 :
(Eq. 8)
Table 4
Figure 4 Horizontal line load over the surface of a

semi-infinite soil mass
6. Stress below a Vertical Strip Load
(finite width, infinite length)
 To calculate the vertical stress increase, we need to substitute qo dr for q and (x - r)
for x in Eq. 7.
 Therefore,
(Eq. 7)
The total increase in the vertical stress (Δσ ) at point

A caused by the entire strip load of width B can be
determined by integration of Eq. 7 with limits of r from
–B/2 to +B/2, or:
Figure 5 Vertical stress at point A caused by a point load on

the surface.
(Eq. 8)
Last Updated: February 2020 Dr. Azlinda Saadon
 With respect to Eq. 8, the following should be kept in mind:
This equation is valid for point A, x > B / 2.
 Table 5 shows the variation of Δσ/qo with 2z/B and 2x/B.

 This table can be used conveniently for the calculation of vertical stress at a point
caused by a flexible strip load.
Last Updated: February 2020 Dr. Azlinda Saadon
Table 2.2
Table 5
Table
Table2.25
Example 3: Stress below a Vertical Strip Load
Refer to the figure below.

Given:
B = 4 m and qo = 100 kN/m2. For point A, z = 1 m and x = 1 m.
Determine the vertical stress Δσ at A. Use Eq. 8 and compare your answer with Table 5.
Solution
Table 5
7. Stress below a Rectangular Area
 The integration technique of Boussinesq’s equation also allows the vertical stress at any point
A below the corner of a flexible rectangular loaded area to be evaluated (Figure 6).
 The total stress increase Δσ caused by the entire loaded area at point A may now be
obtained by integrating the preceding equation:
(Eq. 9)
(Eq. 10)
The variation of the influence values

with m and n are given in Table 6.
Figure 6 Stress below any point of a loaded

flexible rectangular area.
Dr. Azlinda Saadon
Table 6
Table 6
 In most cases, the vertical stress below the center of a rectangular area is of
importance. This can be given by the relationship:
(Eq. 11)
 The variation of Ic with m1 and n1 is given in Table 7.
Table 7
 Foundation engineers often use an approximate method to determine the increase in
stress with depth caused by the construction of a foundation.
 The method is referred to as the 2:1 method. (See Figure 7.)
 According to this method, the increase in stress at depth z is,
(Eq. 12)
Figure 7: 2:1 method of finding stress increase under a foundation.
 Note that Eq. 12 is based on the assumption that the stress from the foundation
spreads out along lines with a vertical-to-horizontal slope of 2:1.
Example 4: Stress below a Rectangular Area
A flexible rectangular area measures 2.5 m x 5 m in plan. It supports a load of 150
kN/m2. Determine the vertical stress increase due to the load at a depth of 6.25 m below
the center of the rectangular area.
Refer to Figure 6. For this case,
From Eq. 10,
From Table 6, for m = 0.2 and n = 0.4, the value of I = 0.0328. Thus
Alternate Solution, from Eq. 11,
From Table 7, for m1 = 2 and n1 = 5, the value of Ic = 0.131. Thus

Chapter 4 - Part I - Vertical Stress

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Chapter 4 - Part I - Vertical Stress

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FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

1. Vertical stresses in soil due to foundations.

1. To introduce the basic concept of stress distribution

This chapter consist of the following topics:

For Stress Distribution (1st Part)

1. Introduction to vertical stress distribution.

 In many cases, the allowable settlement of a shallow foundation may be

 Hence, the general principles for estimating the increase of vertical

 A point load / concentrated

According to Figure 1, Boussinesq’s solution for

Figure 1 Vertical stress at point A caused by a point

 The variation of I1 for various values of r/z is given in Table 1.

Figure 2 Increase in pressure under a

According to his analysis, the vertical stress increased at

This equation can be rewritten as,

Note that Eq. (2.5) is in a nondimensional form.

Using this equation, we can calculate the variation of

Figure Exp. 2(a) (a) Two line loads on the ground

Figure 4 Horizontal line load over the surface of a

The total increase in the vertical stress (Δσ ) at point

Figure 5 Vertical stress at point A caused by a point load on

This equation is valid for point A, x > B / 2.

 Table 5 shows the variation of Δσ/qo with 2z/B and 2x/B.

Refer to the figure below.

The variation of the influence values

Figure 6 Stress below any point of a loaded

 The variation of Ic with m1 and n1 is given in Table 7.

Figure 7: 2:1 method of finding stress increase under a foundation.

Refer to Figure 6. For this case,

Alternate Solution, from Eq. 11,

From Table 7, for m1 = 2 and n1 = 5, the value of Ic = 0.131. Thus

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