Chapter one

Stress in a Soil from

Surface Load
By Tesfa MT.

1
 Introduction
Accurate estimate of stress distribution in a soil
mass is essential for calculations of
• elastic and consolidation settlements
• bearing capacity of soil for shallow and deep
foundations
• lateral earth pressures for the design of earth-
retaining structures, and
• Analysis of slope stability.

2
 Total and Effective Stresses

• The vertical stress at a particular depth is due

to the weight of everything above soil grain
• Thus stresses generally increase with depth.
• the vertical stress σz is
σz = γz
where, γ is the unit weight of the soil.
• If the soil is under the water level, in the bed of
a lake or a sea
σz = γz + γwzw 3
…Total and Effective Stresses

• And if there is a surcharge load q at the surface

from a foundation or an embankment σz = γ z + q

Fig: Total stresses under ground

4
 Stress in a soil from surface load

• The distribution of surface stresses within a soil is

determined by assuming that the soil is a semi-
infinite, homogeneous, linear, isotropic, elastic
material.
• A semi-infinite mass is bounded on one side and
extends infinitely in all other directions; this is also
called an “elastic half space.”
• For soils, the horizontal surface is the bounding side.
• Based on the above assumptions equations and charts
for several types of surface loads are presented.
Point Load
 …Point Load

• Boussinesq (1885) presented a solution for the

distribution of stresses for a point load applied
on the soil surface.
• An example of a point load is the vertical load
transferred to the soil from an electric power
line pole.
• The increases in stresses on a soil element
located at point A due to a point load, Q, is given
by: 5/ 2
3Q  1 

 z 
2 z 2  1  (r / z)2 
 …Point Load

• The above equation can be rewrite as

Q
z  2 IB
z
• where I or IB is Boussinesq influence factor, and
5/ 2
3  1 

I 
2 1 (r / z)2 
…Point Load

9
 …Point Load

• Westergaard's formula for a point load

• Boussinesq assumed that the soil is elastic,
isotropic and homogeneous for the development
of a point load formula.
• However, the soil is neither isotropic nor
homogeneous. The most common type of soils
that are met in nature are the water deposited
sedimentary soils.

10
 …Point Load

• Westergaard, a British Scientist, proposed

(1938) a formula for the computation of
vertical stress by a point load, Q, at the
surface as

• where I or Iw is Westergaard influence factor

11
 Line Load
• By applying the principle of Boussinesq theory,
the stresses at any point in the mass due to a
line load of infinite extent acting at the surface
may be obtained.
• The vertical stress a at point P may be written in
rectangular coordinates as

12
…Line Load

Fig: stress due to vertical line load

13
 Strip Load

• A strip load is the load transmitted by a

structure of finite width and infinite length on a
soil surface.
• The figure below shows a load q per unit area
acting on a strip of infinite length and of
constant width B.

14
…Strip Load

Fig: stress due to vertical strip load 15

 …Strip Load

• The total stress σz at point P due to a strip load

distributed over a width B (= 2b) may be written
as

16
 Uniformly Loaded Circular Area

• Assume a circular area that transmits stresses to

a soil mass in a circular foundation of an oil or
water tank. The increase of vertical and radial
stresses under a circular area of radius r0 are
  
3/ 2 
1
 z  q s 1      qs I c
  1  (r0 z ) 2 
 
 
• Where Ic is an influence factor
  
3/ 2 
1
I c  1    
  1  (r0 z ) 2 
 
 
• Where D = 2ro is the diameter of the loaded area.
Uniformly Loaded Rectangular Area

• Many structural foundations are rectangular or

approximately rectangular in shape.
• The increase in stress below the corner of a
rectangular area of width B and length L is
q  1 LB LBz  1 1 
 z  s  tan    
2  zR3 R3  R1
2
R 2  
2

where R1  ( L2  z 2 )1 2 , R2  ( B 2  z 2 )1 2 , and R3  ( L2  B 2  z 2 )1 2

• The above equation can be written as

 z  q s I z
 …Uniformly Loaded Rectangular Area

• Where Iz denotes the influence factor.

• The influence factor for the vertical stress is:

1  2mn m 2  n 2  1  m 2  n 2  2   2 mn m 2
 n 2
 1 
1 
Iz   2  2   tan 
4  m  n  m n  1  m  n  1 
2 2 2 2  m  n  m n  1 
2 2 2 2
 

• where m = B/z and n = L/z.

…Uniformly Loaded Rectangular Area

20
Approximate Method for Rectangular
Loads
 …Approximate Method for Rectangular Loads

• In preliminary analyses of vertical stress

increases under the center of rectangular loads,
geotechnical engineers often use an approximate
method (sometimes called the 2:1 method).
• The surface load on an area, B x L , is dispersed
at a depth z over an area (B + z) x (L + z).
• The vertical load increase under the center of
the rectangle is
qs BL
 z 
(B  z)(L  z)
Vertical Stress Beneath Irregular Shaped Area
 …Vertical Stress Beneath Irregular Shaped Area

• Newmark (1942) developed a chart to determine

the increase in vertical stress due to a uniformly
loaded area of any shape.
• The area of each segment represents an equal
proportion of the applied surface stress at depth
z below the surface.
• If there are 10 concentric circles (only 9 are
shown because the 10th extends to infinity) and
20 radial lines, the stress on each circle is qs/10
and on each segment is qs/(10*20).
…Vertical Stress Beneath Irregular Shaped Area

• The radius to depth ratio of the first (inner)

circle is found by setting,
  1  
32

0.1qs  qs 1   2

 1  (r0 z)  
• From which r/z = 0.27. For the other circles,
substitute the appropriate value for ∆σz;
• Every chart should show a scale.
 …Vertical Stress Beneath Irregular Shaped Area

The procedure for using Newmark’s chart is as follows

• Set the scale, shown on the chart, equal to the
depth at which the increase in vertical stress is
required. We will call this the depth scale.
• Identify the point on the loaded area below which
the stress is required.
• Let us say this point is point A.
• Plot the loaded area using the depth scale with
point A at the center of the chart.
 …Vertical Stress Beneath Irregular Shaped Area

• Count the number of segments (Ns) covered by the

scaled loaded area.
• If certain segments are not fully covered, you can
estimate what fraction is covered.
• Calculate the increase in vertical stress as

 z  q s I N N s .