COMPUTATION OF LOAD STRESSES IN A THREE-LAYER ELASTIC

SYSTEM
by
W. E. A. ACUM and L. Fox

SYNOPSIS
In a recent Paper two methods were used to
determine the stresses in a two-layer’road system,
caused by the application of uniform load over a
circular area on the top surface. By the first
method, due to Burmister, formulae were obtained,
and evaluated by numerical quadrature, for the
stresses on the axis of the applied load, while the
relaxation method of Southwell was used to com-
pute the off-axial stresses.
Here Burmister’s method is applied to the three-
layer case, and results are given for a wide range of
the parameters involved. The variables are the
radius of the loaded area, the thicknesses of the
two top layers, and the elasticities of the three
layers, equivalent to four independent parameters.
Formulae are given for the horizontal and vertical
stress components, and the results are presented in
tabular form.
No use is made of relaxation, since the labour of
producing results of the required accuracy is pro-
hibitive.
Dans une rtkente etude on avait employ6 deux
methodes pour determiner les eontraintes dans un
revetement de route a deux couches, introduites par
i’application d’une charge uniformt5ment repartie
sur une zone circulaire de la surface supkieure du
systeme. A l’aide de la premiere methode, due a
Burmister, des formules Btaient obtenues et bvalu&s
par quadrature numerique, ces formules representant
les contraintes sur l’axe de la charge appliqub,
tandis que la methode de relaxation de Southwell
Btait employee pour computer les contraintes
d&a&es.
Ici la methode de Burmister est appliquee au cas
d’un revetement B trois couches, et des resultam sont
present& pour une large diversite de param&res
impliques. Les variables sont :-le rayon de la
zone chargee, les Bpaisseurs des deux couches
sup&ieures, et les Blasticites des trois couches ; elles
sont Cquivalentes a quatre param&res ind+endants.
Des formules sont indiquees exprimant les com-
posantes her-izontales et verticales des contraintes,
et les resultats sont prbentb sous forme de tableau.
11 n’a pas utilise la methode de relaxation en
raison du travail prohibitif qu’il faudrait foumir
pour obtenir des rtkultats offrant la precision voulue.

INTRODUCTION

The methods of Burmister and Southwell were used in an earlier Paper (Fox 1948)r to
calculate stresses, in a two-layer system, arising from uniform loading applied over a circular
area at the top surface. The relaxation method was used, in a few specific cases, to give an
indication of the spread of stress while Burmister’s method provided accurate values, for a
much wider range of parameters, of vertical and horizontal stress at any point on the vertical
axis.
In the two-layer system (Fig. l), two
Fig. 1
parameters are involved. These are the
ratios :

ai = a/h, and k = 3 1
11111111
lJlillll c
-2.‘.
E2’
where a denotes the radius of the loaded Layer I El
area, h the thickness of the top layer, and h
E,, E, are respectively the moduli of
elasticity of the upper and lower layers.
T
Poisson’s ratio was taken to be 0.50 in both
layers. Layer 2
. EZ
Two types of condition at the interface,
given by (a) no slipping, and (b) no
friction, were considered ; the true state
I
1 Fox, L., 1948. Computation of traffic stresses in a simple road structure. D.S.I.R., Road RLS. Tech.
Pajw No. 9.
293

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 294 W. E. A. ACUM AND L. FOX

of affairs probably lying nearer to the former than to the latter. The following computations
were performed :L

(1) Burmister’s method

(a) No slipping.. 2 and Gs (radial stress in lower layer) at interface on vertical axis,
for al = a, 1, 2, 4
and k = 1, 2, 5, 10, 32.3, 100, 500, 10,000.
E and .Z- 5s at points on vertical axis in lower layer,
for aI = ), 1, 2 ; and K = 1, 10, 100, 1,000.
(b) No friction. .Z and .G - Gs at points on vertical axis in lower layer,
for al = 4, 1, 2 ; and k = 1, 10, 100, 1,000.

(2) Relaxation method

(a) No slipping. Full stress picture,
for al = 1 ; and k = 1, 2, 10, 100.
This article deals with the extension of the analysis to the three-layer case.

EXTENSION TO THREE-LAYER CASE

The extension of this work to the three-layer system, promised in the earlier Paper, has
now been completed, and the relevant formulae and results follow.
Unfortunately the application of relaxation methods to this case was found to be im-
practical, the amount of work involved to secure reasonable accuracy being prohibitive.
Results are therefore available only for stresses on the vertical axis, but it is considered that
the two-layer relaxation results give a satisfactory estimate of the off-axial spread of stress.
The extension of Burmister’s method is practicable, though the number of parameters has
increased to four, and the expressions for the stresses have become correspondingly more
cumbersome.
The chosen parameters (Fig. 2) are given by
aI = a/hz,H = hl/hz, k, = El/E,, and k, = E,/Es,
and the following stresses have been com-
Fig. 2 puted on the assumption of perfect friction at
each interface, and with Poisson’s ratio equal
111111!
-2a-
llllll to 0.50 throughout.

I (1) At first interface

T I

The chosen values of the parameters are

as follows :-
ar = 1, 4.
H = 2, 1, 4, &.
k, = 5, 10,20,50, 100, 500.
k, = 1, 5, 10, 50, 100.

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 STRESSES IN A THREE-LAYER SYSTEM 295

Some alleviation of the complicated nature of the stress formulae, given below, arises from
the fact that the parameter al enters somewhat trivially into the formulae.

(1) First interface

(2) Second interface

s
4)
FI Odx
2 = (1 - fw - N) o kmx)D(x)

2za= -(l - K) =LJ&rx)G’odr

s 0 D(x)
OD
GA4
2's= - t1 -K)(l o%fd UX-dX
1 )D&)

The symbols and functions in these expressions are defined as follows :-

k, - 1 k2 - 1
K=kl+l’ N=k2+1-
fi(x) = (1 + Rx) e-J-rz-- KNse-(4+mZ - (1 - Hx) P&z--~~~ - N2e-13JJ+4jz
{ 1 1 1
- ~$l(x)e-(3H+2kC _ Nfi2(x)e-UZ+2k

a(x) = i--&(1- Hx)(,,3, - N2e-Qa+4)2}- A--(1 + Hx){e-Hz

_KN2+7+4)~}+ z{e-l?S + K~2&l+4)Z - Ke-3EZ _ jjle-C3lZ+4)Z]
- N$3(x)e-l38+2)2- N$4(x)e--uP+2)2

g2(x)= K(2 - 5Hx)e-aHZ - (2 - Hx)e-HZ - IP(2 + Hx)e-‘3H+4’%

+ KN2(2 + 5Hx)e-@r+4)z - Npb(x)e-(aH+a)z - iV$~,(x)e-a+s)z
F,(x) = - (1 + x + Hx)e-‘H+r)z - KN( 1 - x + Hx - W%2)e-~+3)z

+m +x - Hx - Wx2)e-‘3H+l)Z + N(1 _ x _ Hx)e-CJH+B)z

Gl(x) = Kq,(x)e-‘3a+l)z - q2(xje-@+l'z + Nq2(x)e-f3~+3)2 -~JJq4(x)&E+3)Z

G,(x) = K(-2 + x + 5Hx - Wx2)e-‘aJr+r)~ + (2 - x - Hx)e-a+l)z
- N(2 - 5x - 5Hx)e- (3E+3)2 + KN(2 - 5x - Hx - lOHxs)e-m+sh
D(x) = 1 + 2KN(l + 2x2)e-ss + KWee-4z + K2e-uz + 2KN(l.+ 2@).+~+~~
+ N2,-(4a+4b - =(I + m2,2),y2Zh _K~N$,(X)~-I~I?+~)Z _ Npg(x)e-(2E+2h

- xNZ(l + W2x2)e-f2R+4k%
T

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 296 W. E. A. ACUM AND L. FOX

and
jJ&)=h( -x) = -K(l +2x-H% +2%* -2HXe-4Hz3)+(1-2z-H~x+2S+W~~)
%(x)= pl( - x) = K(4 + 2Hx + 8x8 + 4Hx3) - (2 - 4x - 5Hx - 2~2 - 2HXn)
- Ks(2 + 4x - 5Hx + 109 + 2Hx= - 2OHxS).
$&) = $e~z)=~) K(2 + 4x + Hz - 2x2 - lOHn% + 4Hx8) - (2 - 4x - 5Hn - 2x0
.
$,(x) = 2 + 4.9 - 8HS + 4HW + 16HW.
Ps(n) = 2 + 49 + @HS + 4HW.
q&) = N(2 + 5x + Hz - 1OHS) - (2 - x - 5Hx + 2Hx*)
q&) = N(2 + 5x + 5Hx) - (2 - x - Hz)
q&) = N(2 + x + Hz) - (2 - 5x - 5Hx)
q&) = N(2 + x + 5Hx + 2Hxe) - (2 - 5x - Hz - 1OHXe).

PRESENTATION OF RESULTS

In the two-layer case results were given in the form of tables, graphs, and contours.
When four parameters are present, however, it is very difficult to cover the whole range
adequately and to present the results in a suitable manner. The results are therefore given
in tabular form only, and it is left to the user to plot them, if desired, in any convenient way.
The wide range both of arguments and results suggests that plots on logarithmic scales will
be the best. The vertical stress Z is always of one sign, and can be plotted in this way without
difficulty. The horizontal stress F7 is of variable sign, but the more important quantity
,rz - $7 is of one sign throughout, and it is therefore more convenient to plot ,Z - f? rather
than G?.
In Tables 1 to 8 (Appendix), stresses are given as percentages of the applied load. All
the signs are negative, and the six values given in any “ cell ” of the tables are arranged
according to the following scheme :-

First Second
interface I interface

The vertical and horizontal stresses were computed independently, and an almost perfect
check, apart from a constant &merical factor, is given by the relations
az,- +?I =R1(21 - fi2) at first interface,
and Es - Es = ka(Zs - F?s) at second interface.
Special cases o&r when Kr or kg becomes unity, and the problem is reduced to that of
the two-layer system. Some results can then be obtained by interpolation or extrapolation
in the previous work. There are four special cases.

(1) Stress req&ed atfirst interfuce, k, = 1.

This requires a knowledge of the stress at points in the upper layer of a two-layer system,
for which no computations have been performed.

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 STRESSES IN A THREE-LAYER SYSTEM 297

(2) Stress rcquirtd atJirst interface,

kg = 1.
This corresponds to the det ermination of stresses at the interface of a two-layer system
where, with an obviousnotation, the parameters are given by
/a,@ = @)/II, and k’s -= kl’a.

(3) Stress re+ired at second in&face, kl = 1.

This corresponds to the determination of stresses at the interface of a two-layer system,
with parameters
ur’n = @‘/(l + H), and k’w = &‘s.

(4) Stress required at second iderface, k, = 1.

This corresponds to the determination of stresses at a point in the lower layer of a two-
layer system. The parameters are
al(s = al’s/H, and k’s = kl@,
and the depth below the interface is k’s/H.
No values are given in the Tables, since it is generally easier to obtain them, if required,
by extrapolation of the log-log plots of the three-layer results. Enough values were obtained
from the two-layer work, however, to prove that there was no signXcant error in the com-
plicated formulae and computation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This article has been written and the results included therein have been obtained at the
Mathematics Division, National Physical Laboratory, as a part of the programme of the
Road Research Board ; it is published by permission of the Director of Road Research.

APPENDIX

Table i
H=2,a,=l
I

I 20I 50I 100

I 500
I I I I

$1 9.51
5

3.64
.I 10

0.349 0.261
187aO 0.513
0.374 0.101

O-252 0.169
203xJO 0.586
0.405 0.059

6.43 0.552

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 298 W. E. A. ACUM AND L. FOX

Table 2
H = l,a, = 1

k,
-
4 5 10 20 50 100 500

30.30 9.22 20.80 7.14 13.50 5.33 7.26 3.44 4.43 2.36 1.38 0.921
5 162.00 37+3O 229.00 28.10 300.00 19.70 390.00 11.40 457.00 7.10 594.00 2.11
32.30 7.56 22.90 5.63 15.00 3.96 7.84 2.29 4.57 1.42 1.19 0.420
L

It
27.90 6.11 18:70 4.73 11.80 3.53 6.13 2.26 3.60 1.55 1.04 0.599
10 173.00 47.10 250.00 35.00 330.00 24.40 431.00 13.90 502.00 8.55 645.00 2.46
34.70 4.70 25.00 3.50 16.50 2.44 8.66 1.39 5.02 0.86 1.29 0.245

0.572
201.00 68.20 298.00 50.90 399.00 11.80
:t::: 0.236

24.30 1.42 15.60 1.11 9.35 0.839 4.40 0.540

100 213.00 75.10 319.00 57.80 428.00 39.80 563.00 22.00
42.60 0.76 31.80 0.57 21.40 0.400 Il.30 0.22 +
--

Table 3

4
-
k, 20 50 100 500

5
66.40
215.00
43.00
T 15.60
62.00
12.40
39.90
561.00
28.10
12.90
49.80
10.00
24.70
868.00
17.40
9.42
34.00
6.81
16.20
1116.00
11.20
7.06
23.80
4.77
5.48
1687.00
3.37
3.13
8.60
1.72

1 I
63.40 10.40 37.00 8.59 22.20 6.29 14.20 4.72 4.43 2.08
10 223.00 78.00 615.00 62.80 963.00 42.90 1244.00 29.80 1866.00 10.50
44.60 7.81 30.70 6.28 19.30 4.29 12.40 2.98 3.73 1.05

59.80 3.74 33.50 3.14 19.10 2.34 11.60 17.70

50 239.00 115.00 730.00 93.30 1 180.00 63.90 1541.00 44.20
47.80 2.30 36.50 1 s7 23.60 1.28 15.40 0.88

59.10 32.80 2.00 18.50 1.51

100 244.00 776.00 106.00 1
48.80 38.70 1.06 270.00
25-101 730:730
10 1 1 / 1
- I ! ,

Table 4
H = a, a, = 1

1
kl
--I
I I
I

&I 5 I 10

~
I614.00 90.70 1273.00 75.20 1966.00 61.20 3991.00 3il.i

657.00 115.00 1404.00 95.60 2195.00 77.90 4500.00 3810;)

j:::: / ::::: 1 :::::/ ‘:::: / :::::I ‘S::: 1 l::::i ;.::

90.20 6.52 85.50 5.91 76.40

70.80 197.00 I 303.00 I 185.00 725.00
14.20 3.94 30.20 3.69 36.40

75.80
745.00
37M

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 STRESSES IN A THREE-LAYER SYSTEM 299
Table 5
H = 2, a, = ;

k,
-
k, 5 10 20 50 100 500

l-
2.85 0.950 1.76 0.670 1.06 0.268 0.307 0.175 0.093 0.066
5 21.50 4.09 27.20 2.70 32.40 0.853 42.10 0.492 iO.80 0.131
4.30 0.817 2.72 0.540 1,62 0.170 0.421 0.098 0.101 0.026
l-
2.51 0.621 1.52 0.435 0.884 0.241
10 23.10 4.96 29.40 3.24 35.00 45.20
4.62 0.495 2.94 0.323 1.75 0.454

2.12 0.220 1.23 0.155 0.682 0.064 0.165 0.042

50 27.10 6.80 34.60 4.40 41.20 1.32 53.70 0.753
5.42 0.136 3.47 0.088 2.06 0.026 0.537 0.015

0.644
44.10
2.21

Table 6
Ii = 1, a, = &

k,
-
k, 5 10 20 50 100 500

12.00 2.55 7.72 1.93 4.74 1.42 2.39 0.899 1.40 0.610 0.404 0.235
5 66.10 10.90 87.10 7.89 107.00 5.43 132.00 3.07 149.00 1.89 184.00 os550
13.20 2.18 8.69 1.58 5.36 1.09 2.64 0.616 1.49 0.376 0.368 0~111

11.30 1.66 7.13 1 a26 4.29 0.929 2.08 0.586 1.18 0.400 0.318 0.152
10 69.10 13.30 92.30 9.68 115.00 6.64 142.00 3.71 160.00 2.26 197.00 0.637
13.80 1.33 9.22 0.969 5.74 0.664 2.84 0.371 1 a60 0.227 0.394 0.064

10.50 0.586 6.46 0.453 3,74 0.336 1.71 0.213 0.927 0.145
50 76.10 18.70 104.00 13.70 132.00 9.39 165.00 5.14 186.00 3.08
15.20 0.374 10.40 0.275 6.61 0.189 3.30 0.103 1.86 0.062

IO.30 0.370 6.32 0.287 3.64 0.215 1.64 0.137

100 79.00 21.10 109.00 15.40 140.00 IO.60 175.00 5.75
15.80 0.210 10.90 o-154 6.99 0.106 3.50 0.057

Table 7

4
-
kz 50 100

9.41 2.58 5.76 1.89

363.00 9.69 433.00 6.63
7.26 1.94 4.32 1.32

8.71 1.69 5.20 1.25

388.00 12.00 465.00 8.18
4.65 0.818
7.76 t 1.20
34.20 I,20 7.88 0.612 4.51 0.457
50 151.00 39.60 443.00 17.40 11.80
30.10 0.794 8.87 0.348 54:‘40:
. 0.237
-
33.90 0.748 7.72
100 152.00 44.10 466.00
30.30 0.44 1 9.32
t

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