IIT Bombay

26/10/2009 Lecture: 28 Stress distribution due

to imposed load

Sub-topics

 Boussinesq stress distribution

 Newmark’s charts

 Westergaard’s solutions

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

Knowledge of stress distribution induced by load on surface

For a very large loaded area  loading is 1-D (stress increase in soil
mass is the same as the applied pressure at the surface

For limited loaded area  loading is 2-D (applied pressure dissipates with
depth)

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

Limited or finite loaded area

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

Empirical: 2 to 1 method

• Force is taken
constant with depth

• Force acts over

area which increases
with depth

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

Boussinesq stress distribution

Assumption : homogeneous, isotropic, linearly-elastic half space
Soil is weightless and unstressed
Foundation is flexible; contact pressure between the foundation
and soil is uniform

Vertical stress for point load acting perpendicular to the surface

z 
 
Q 3z 3 Q = point load

2r  z  2
5 Q
2 2

Other loading situations  line load, uniform

rectangular load and trapezoidal load x
z

z
Solutions obtained by integration of point load
equation r

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay
Boussinesq distribution (contd)

D e p t h b e lo w s u r f a c e
z=2

(a)
Q3z 
r= 5 r= 4 r= 3
3 r= 6
z 
2r  z  2
r= 7

 z /Q
5
2 2
z=4

z=6
 z /Q
z=8

-1 0 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 (b)
R a d ia l d is t a n c e , r

z/Q with: (a) radial distance; (b) depth

Isobar – contour or line joining

points of equal vertical stress
below ground surface

Isobar is “onion” shaped in spatial

coordinates
isobar is also called “pressure bulb”
CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

q /unit length
Line load 3
2q z
z 
 x4

q = line load x
z
x = (z2 + r2)1/2
z
Uniformly loaded rectangular area r
(under corner of a uniformly loaded rectangular area)

z  q

 2 2
1  2mn m n 1  
1
2 2 2
m n 2 
 arctan
2 2
2mn m n 1 2 
1 
 
  2 2
4 m  n 1 m n

2 
2
x 2 2
m  n 1  m2  n 2  1  m2n 2 

q = surface or contact stress
m = x/z
n = y/z, and
x, y = length and width of the loaded area
 m and n are interchangeable
CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

Uniformly loaded rectangular area

The equation can be
rewritten as
z  q I

I = influence value

Question: Find z at
depth z inside the loaded
area? OR

Find z at depth z
outside the loaded area?

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

Uniformly loaded circular area

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

Trapezoidal loading –
long embankment

Influence values are in

terms of a and b

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

Newmark’s influence chart

(based on Boussinesq’s theory)

Useful to deduce  due to

v
loaded area of any shape

The point can lie inside or

outside the loaded area

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

Westergaard’s solutions
All preceding solutions were integrations of the original Boussinesq
equation for point load in homogeneous, isotropic, linearly elastic, half-
space

Westergaard’s (1938) solutions valid for layered soils

Assumption in Westergaard’s theory : only vertical movement occurs and no

horizontal movement (Poisson’s ratio  = 0)

Poisson’s ratio,  = ratio of horizontal strain to vertical strain

Typical values of  : silts and sands (0.2 to 0.4), saturated clays (0.4 to 0.5)

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

Q 1
Westergaard’s solution for  for a point load z 
v
z 2  2 2
3
r
1  2  
  z  

x
z

z

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

Westergaard’s solution


For v under corner of a
uniformly loaded
rectangular area

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

Summary

• Assumption of Westergaard theory are probably closer to

reality for layered soil deposit

• From philosophical point of view, both theories are based on

assumptions which are far from reality

• It often boils down to matter of personal preference

• The 2:1 method, is probably used as often in practice

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ
IIT Bombay

CE 303 28 Instructor: AJ