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Lecture notes, lecture 6

Geotechnical Engineering 1 (University of Sheffield)

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Part 5
Stress Distribution
(Section 8.5, p295-300)

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Learning outcomes
• Learn the concept that when load is applied over
a limited area at the ground surface, the intensity
of stress in the soil will reduce with increasing in
depth and lateral distance.
• Know how to calculate the vertical stress
distribution in soil under:
– Point load
– Strip area carrying uniform pressure
– Rectangular area carrying uniform pressure

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Induced stresses from surface loads

Oil Tank

Dsz = ? Dsz = ?

Dsz = ?

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Point Load – Induced stresses in

Elastic Medium
Boussinesq (1885)

sz
sr

sθ

Figure 8.19a

For this course, we will concentrate only on vertical stress sz.

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Point Load

Q (kN)
3Q 1
Ds z  ( )5/2

2z 1  (r / z)
2 2

z R Dsz
or alternatively

r 3
3Qz
Ds z 
2R 5

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Point Load

Q (kN)

z R Dsz
3Qz 3
Ds z 
r 2R 5

When r = 0, z = R, 3Q
then Ds z 
2z 2
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Figure 8.19b
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Influence factors for vertical Q (kN)

stress due to point load
3Q 1
Re-write Ds z  ( )5/2

2z 2 1  (r / z)2 z R Dsz

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Line load

Q (kN/m) For point load:

3Qz 3
Ds z 
2R 5

z Dsz For line load:

3
2Qz
Ds z 
x ( x  z )
2 2 2

Figure 8.20a 8
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Superposition
Since we are dealing with a linear elastic isotropic and
homogeneous medium, we can use the principle of
superposition when calculating stresses from multiple
sources of stress.
P1 kN/m P2 kN/m 2P1z 3
Ds z1 
( x12  z 2 )2

2P2 z 3
Ds z 2 
z Dsz ( x 22  z 2 )2

x1 x2 Dsz = Dsz1 + Dsz2

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Strip area carrying uniform

pressure
B
q (kPa)

 
Dsz
z Figure 8.20b

q
Ds z  {  sin  cos(   2)}

where  and  are in radians
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Example 5-1 Uniform Strip Load

2m
q = 250 kPa

Dsz = ? z=3m

A strip footing 2 m wide carries a uniform

pressure of 250 kPa on the surface of a deposit
of sand. Determine the increase in Dsz at a
depth of 3 m below the centre of the footing.
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Example 5.1 Uniform Strip Load

B=2m
q = 250 kPa


z=3m
 = 2 tan-1 (1/3) 
= 0.643 radians
 = -/2

q
Ds z  {  sin  cos(  2  )}  99.0kPa

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Rectangular Area: Fadum’s Chart

Dsz beneath corner of rectangular uniformly loaded area
L
n B q (kPa)

z
m = B/z
n = L/z
Ir
m and n are
interchangeable

Dsz = q Ir

m 13
Figure 8.21
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Influence factor Iz for stress beneath the

corner of a rectangular loaded area (Dsz = Ir q)

n
m 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 1.0 1.5 10
0.1 0.0047 0.0092 0.0132 0.0168 0.0198 0.0222 0.0242 0.0258 0.0279 0.0304 0.0316

0.5 0.0198 0.0387 0.0559 0.0711 0.0840 0.0947 0.1034 0.1103 0.1202 0.1314 0.1374

1 0.0279 0.0547 0.0794 0.1013 0.1202 0.1360 0.1491 0.1598 0.1752 0.1936 0.2046

2 0.0311 0.0610 0.0887 0.1134 0.1350 0.1533 0.1686 0.1812 0.1999 0.2236 0.2398

5 0.0316 0.0620 0.0901 0.1154 0.1374 0.1561 0.1718 0.1849 0.2044 0.2296 0.2491

10 0.0316 0.0620 0.0902 0.1154 0.1374 0.1562 0.1720 0.1850 0.2046 0.2299 0.2498

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Example 5.2
1m q1= 317 kPa
Find Dsz due to q1 at
A point A at a depth
z = 1.2 m.
2.0 m
n

m = B/z = 1/1.2 = 0.83

n = L/z = 2/1.2 = 1.67

From Chart, Ir = 0.183 Ir

Dsz = q Ir = 317*0.183

Dsz = 58.0 kPa

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Example 5.3 (Ex 8.3 on p299)

Find the vertical stress at “A” at depth = 3 m

(1) m = 3/3 = 1.0 and n = 4.5/3 = 1.5  Ir1 = 0.193

(2) m = 3/3 = 1.0 and n = 1.5/3 = 0.5  Ir2 = 0.120

Dsz = 2 q (Ir1 – Ir2) = 2 x 300 x (0.193 – 0.120) = 43.8 kPa

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D=2R
q
Circular Loaded Area
s z = q Ic
sz
Values of Ic
r/R
z/R

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Vertical Stress below Centre of a Circular Loaded Area

D=2R
q

z
Ic
Dsz

  1 
3/2
Ds z  q 1    
2
  1  (R / z)  
 

D/z 18
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Stress Bulbs

Figure 8.22

Strip Loaded Area Square Loaded Area

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Contours of Induced Stress

Circular Loaded Area Square Loaded Area

B 2B 3B
0

2B

3B

4B 20
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Contours of Induced Stress

Strip Loaded Square Loaded Area
Area
2B 4B 6B

2B

4B

6B

8B

10B

12B
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Induced Stress in Layered Soil Mass

E1

E2

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Summary
• When load is applied over a limited area at
the ground surface, the intensity of stress
will reduce with increasing in depth and
lateral distance.
• Stress distribution beneath a footing
(either point load or distributed load) can
be calculated using elastic solutions.

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