Stresses in a Soil Mass

How are stresses

produced?
Geostatic stresses
total stress
effective stress
pore water pressure

Additional stresses
surface loads
foundation
embankment
vehicle

Effects of stresses
Geostatic stresses
soil compresses or consolidates based on
geostatic stress levels

Additional stresses
produces additional strain in soil which
causes settlement under point of load.

Normal and Shear

Stresses
on a Plane

Use methods learned in Mechanics of

Materials
The normal stress on any plane is
y x y x
n

cos2 xy sin2
2
2

The shear stress on any plane is

y x
n
sin 2 xy cos 2
2

Normal and Shear

Stresses
on a Plane

Use Mohrs circle method to graphically

depict stresses: orientation, and
magnitude.

Normal and Shear

Stresses
on a Plane

The major principal stress is

2
y x

y
x
2
n 1

xy
2

The minor principal stress is

2
y x

y
x
2
n 3

xy
2

Pole Method of Finding

Stresses on a Plane
Also called Origin of Planes
Draw a line from a known point on the Mohrs circle
parallel to the plane on which the state of stress
acts.
The point of intersection of this line with the Mohrs
circle is called the pole.
To find the state of stress on any other plane, draw
a line parallel to the plane of interest through the
pole. State of stress is the intersection of this line
with Mohrs circle.

Basics of Surface Loads

Categorize into groups based on areal extent
infinite extent (fills, surface surcharge)
finite extent

point load
line load
strip load
linearly increasing load
uniformly loaded circular area
rectangularly loaded area

Basics of Surface Loads

Load produces stress and strain
Stress and strain occur in all directions
Commonly focus only on vertical stress
increase

Analysis based on elastic theory

isotropic, homogeneous material
linear elastic behavior (spring-like)
material comprises a half-space

Stress Caused by a Point

Load
First solved by Boussinesq (1883)
Stress is maximum nearest applied
load and diminishes at distances away.

P 3
1

z 2
5/ 2
2
z f 2 r / z f 1

Stress Caused by Line

Load
Line load of magnitude q/unit length
acts on half-space surface
Vertical stress increase is:

P 3
2 zf
b
z
2
2
xf zf

Superposition
This principle works because this
system is linear elastic, isotropic, and
homogeneous.
This procedure greatly simplifies
subsurface stress analysis.
Merely add up each separate
component.

Approximate Methods
Approximate equations provide induced
vertical stress beneath the center of
various loaded areas. See Eqns.
10.25, 10.26, 10.27, and 10.28 for
circular, square, continuous (strip), and
rectangular loaded areas, respectively.
Another common equation is Eqn.
10.29 which is very easy to remember,
i.e., distribute the load over an area
enlargened by depth.