Geotechnical Engineering–II [CE-321]

BSc Civil Engineering – 5th Semester

Lecture # 5
1-Oct-2019

by
Dr. Jahanzaib Israr
Civil Engg. Dept. – UET Lahore
Email: jisrar@uet.edu.pk
1
 Practical Problem #6
Following figure 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.

Q = 10000 kN q2 = 250 kN/m q1 = 150 kN/m

2m 2m

3m
Dsz 1.5 m
Q  3 1 
Ds z   52 Point Load A
z2 
 2 1  r z 2  

q  2 1 
Ds z   2 Line Load

z  1   x / z 2  
2
STRESS INCREASE (∆q) DUE TO
EXTERNAL LOAD
Q
 Point load Dsz  2 I B
z
q
 Line Load s z  IL
z
• But engineering loads typically act on areas and
not points or lines.
• Bousinesq solution for line load was thus
integrated for a finite area

Uniformly Loaded Uniformly Loaded Trapezoidal,

Circular Area Rectangular Area Triangular, etc.
3
 STRESS UNDER UNIFORMLY LOADED
CIRCULAR AREA
Boussinesq equation can be extended to a uniformly loaded
circular area to determine vertical stress at any depth.

Case-A: Vertical stress under the center of

circular footing
RO

 1 
Ds z  q 1 
 1  Ro z 2
 32

z

where,
q = UDL (load/area)
RO = Radius of footing
4
 STRESS UNDER UNIFORMLY LOADED
CIRCULAR AREA

Case-B: Vertical stress at any point in soil

Ds z  q  I Z ( m, n )
RO

where,
IZ = Shape function/ Influence factor
zz
m = z/RO; n=r/RO

RO = Radius of footing
r = distance of Δσz from center of footing
z = depth of Δσz ar
5
STRESS UNDER UNIFORMLY LOADED CIRCULAR AREA
(stress in percent of surface contact pressure)

(Foster & Alvin, 1954; U.S. Navy, 1986) Assumptions: Semi-infinite elastic
medium with Poisson’s ratio 0.5.6
Practice Problem #7
A water tank is required to be constructed with a circular
foundation having a diameter of 16 m founded at a depth of 2 m
below the ground surface. The estimated distributed load on the
foundation is 325 kPa.
Assuming that the subsoil extends to a great depth and is
isotropic and homogeneous. Determine the stress sz at points

(i) 10 m below NSL; at center of footing

(ii) 10 m below NSL; at distance of 8 m from central axis of footing
(iii) 18 m below NSL; at center of footing
(iv) 18 m below NSL; at distance of 8 m from central axis of footing

Neglect the effect of the depth of the foundation on the

stresses.
7
 STRESS UNDER UNIFORMLY LOADED
RECTANGULAR AREA
Bousinesq equation can be extended for uniformly loaded
rectangular area as; q x
dy
Ds z  q  I rec (m, n) y dx

where,
Dsz
IZ = Shape function/ Influence factor
m = b/z; n=l/z
A

8
STRESS UNDER •9
UNIFORMLY
LOADED
RECTANGULAR
AREA

B L
m , n
z z
Log scale 9
STRESS UNDER UNIFORMLY LOADED
RECTANGULAR AREA

Ds z  q  I rec (m, n)

This methods gives stress at the corner of rectangular area

A B A E B

G
F

D C D C
Case I Case II
σz due to ABCD =
4 x σz due to EBFG
10
Practice Problem #8
A 20 x 30 ft rectangular footing carrying a uniform load of 6000
lb/ft2 is applied to the ground surface.
Required
The vertical stress increment due to this uniform load at a depth
of 20 ft below the (i) corner, and (ii) center of loaded area.

A E B

G F
20 ft

D C
30 ft
11
 STRESS UNDER UNIFORMLY LOADED
RECTANGULAR AREA
A B A E B

G
H F

D C D I C
Case I Case II
σz due to ABCD =
4 x σz due to EBFG
A E B

Case III
σz due to ABCD = σz due to
I (EBFI + IFCG + IGDH + AEIH)
H F

D G C
12
 STRESS UNDER UNIFORMLY LOADED
RECTANGULAR AREA
A B A E B

F E

D C D F C
Case IV Case V
σz due to ABCD = 2 x σz due to ABEF σz due to ABCD = 2 x σz due to EBCF
A B E

Case VI
σz due to ABCD = σz due to
(AEGI – BEGH – DFGI + CFGH)
D F
C

I G
H 13
Practice Problem #9
A rectangular footing with load intensity of 20 t/m2 is shown.
Find sz at 2.5 m depth for point
a) R
b) S
c) T
d) U

14
STRESS UNDER •15
UNIFORMLY
LOADED
RECTANGULAR
AREA

B L
m , n
z z
Log scale 15
Practice Problem #10
The uniform contact pressure under a rectangular footing of 6m
x 5m is 200kPa. Compute the vertical stress component under
points A and B at a depth of 2m.

16
Practice Problem #10

17
STRESS UNDER
UNIFORMLY
LOADED
TRAPEZOIDAL AREA

Ref: Holtz & Kovacs

(2nd Ed.)
Fig. 10.6 (pp #474)

Stress distribution under

a very long embankment;
length = ∞

(U.S. Navy, 1986, after

Osterberg, 1957)
18
STRESS UNDER
UNIFORMLY
LOADED
TRIANGULAR AREA

Ref: Holtz & Kovacs

(2nd Ed.)
Fig. 10.7 (pp #475)

Influence values for vertical

stress under the corners of a
triangular load of limited
length.

(U.S. Navy, 1986)

19
STRESS UNDER UNIFORMLY LOADED
IRREGULAR SHAPED AREA
How to determine stress in soil caused by irregularly shaped
loaded areas?

 Newmark (1942) influence charts

 Determination of stresses at given depth and location (both
within and outside the loaded area)
 Vertical stress
 Horizontal stress
 Shear stress 20
 STRESS UNDER UNIFORMLY LOADED IRREGULAR
SHAPED AREA
– Newmark Influence Charts –
• Based on Bousinesq theory

• Similar charts available for

Westergaard theory (to be
discussed later)

21
 – NEWMARK
INFLUENCE CHARTS –

• Contours of a cone

• Each ‘area’ or ‘block’ has the

same surface area in cross-
section

• Projection on paper distorts the

block area, i.e. areas look
smaller close to the center and
vice versa

22
 – NEWMARK
INFLUENCE CHARTS –

• Drawing to be made on scale

• Distance A-B equal to depth of
interest
• Scale of loaded area to be
selected accordingly
• Center of influence chart to
coincide with point of interest

• Count number of blocks under

loaded area

∆𝜎𝑧 = 𝑞𝑜 . 𝐼. (𝑁𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑠)

qo = contact stress
I = influence factor
23
 Practice Problem #8
What is the additional
vertical stress at a depth of 10
m under point A?

∆𝜎𝑧 = 𝑞𝑜 . 𝐼. (𝑁𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑠)

No of elements = 76 (say)

A B
20mm
I = 1/200
24
 STRESS
DISTRIBUTION
CHARTS

Ref: Bowles pp #292

Fig. 5-4

Pressure isobars (also called pressure

bulbs) based on the Boussinesq
equation for square and strip footings.

Applicable only along line ab from the

center to edge of the base.

25
STRESS INCREASE (∆q) DUE TO
EXTERNAL LOAD

Determination of stress due to external load at any

point in soil

1. Approximate Method
2. Boussinesq’s Theory
3. Westergaard’s Theory

27
 Westergaard’s Theory
• Boussinesq theory derived for homogeneous, isotropic, linearly
elastic half-space.
• Many natural soils sedimentary (layered) in nature; e.g. varved
clays.
• Westergaard theory considers infinitely thin elastic layers of soil.

28
 Westergaard’s Theory for Point Load
Westergaard, proposed (1938) a formula for the computation of vertical
stress sz by a point load, P, at the surface as;

P 1  2  2  2 
Ds z 

2z 2 1  2   2     r z 2  32

If poisson’s ratio, , is taken as zero, the above equation simplifies to

P 1 P
Ds z  2  2 IW

z 1  2r z 2  32
z

Where, 1 1 Independent of all

IW 

 1  2r z 2  32 material properties.

29
 Westergaard vs Boussinesq Coefficient
1 1
IW 

 1  2r z 2  32

3 1
IB 

2 1  r z 2 52

The value of IW at r/z = 0 is

0.32 which is less than that of
IB by 33%.

Boussinesq’s solution gives

conservative results at shallow
depth.
30
Westergaard
Charts for
Rectangular
Loads

Ref: Holtz & Kovacs (2nd Ed.)

Fig. 10.9 (pp #480)

Influence values for vertical

stress under corners of a
uniformly loaded rectangular
area for Westergaard theory
(after Duncan & Buchignani,
1976)

31
 Influence values for vertical stress under
center of a square uniformly loaded area
(Poisson’s Ratio, ν = 0.0)
(after Duncan & Buchignani, 1976)

Ref: Holtz & Kovacs (2nd Ed.)

Table 10.1 (pp #481)

32
 Influence values for vertical stress under
center of infinitely long strip load.
(after Duncan & Buchignani, 1976)

Ref: Holtz & Kovacs (2nd Ed.)

Table 10.2 (pp #481)

33
 Influence values for vertical stress
under corner of a uniformly loaded
rectangular area.
(after Duncan & Buchignani, 1976)

Ref: Holtz & Kovacs

(2nd Ed.)
Table 10.2 (pp #481)

34
 SUMMARY
APPROXIMATE METHOD
Use of 2:1 (V:H) stress distribution
𝑄
𝜎𝑧 =
(𝐵 + 𝑧) ∙ (𝐿 + 𝑧)

BOUSSINESQ METHOD WESTERGAARD METHOD

P P
Ds z  I
2 B Ds z  I
z z 2 W

Where,
Where,
3 1 1 1
IB 
 
2 r z 2  1 5 2
IW 

 1  2r z 2  32

35
Practice Problem #9

36
Practice Problem #9

37
Practice Problem #9

38
Practice Problem #9

39
REFERENCE MATERIAL
An Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering (2nd Ed.)
Robert D. Holtz & William D. Kovacs
Chapter #10

CONCLUDED

40