CHAPTER 4

SOIL STRESSES
Introduction
We have to know the distribution of stress at a
given depth to analyze the:

i) Compressibility of soils
ii) Bearing capacity of foundations
iii) Stability of embankments
iv) Lateral pressure on retaining structure

Introduction
In determining the stress distribution, we have
to know the stress that will be carried by
water and the stress to be carried by the solid
(soil skeleton).

It is involved the effective stress concept


STRESS DISTRIBUTION IN SOILS
Added load (such as buildings,
embankments, rail track
Self weight of the soil layers
(Geostatic stresses)
Stresses at a point in a soil layer are caused by:
Effective stress concept
1. Water level is far away from the soil surface
h
1
h
2
dry

sat

A

B

C

0 u ' stress, Effective
0 0 u pressure, water Pore
0 0 stress, Total
w
dry
= =
= =
= =
1 dry
w
1 dry
h u ' stress, Effective
0 0 u pressure, water Pore
h stress, Total
= =
= =
=
( )
2 w sat 1 dry
2 w
2 sat 1 dry
h h u ' stress, Effective
h u pressure, water Pore
h h stress, Total
+ = =
=
+ =
Effective stress concept
1. Water level is at the soil surface
h
1
h
2
sat

A

B

C

0 u ' stress, Effective
0 0 u pressure, water Pore
0 0 stress, Total
w
sat
= =
= =
= =
1
1 w
1 sat
h ' u ' stress, Effective
0 h u pressure, water Pore
h stress, Total
= =
= =
=
( )
( )
( )( )
2 1 w sat
2 1 w
2 1 sat
h h u ' stress, Effective
h h u pressure, water Pore
h h stress, Total
+ = =
+ =
+ =
Effective stress concept
1. Water level is above the soil surface
h
1
h
2
sat

A

B

C

0 u ' stress, Effective
h u pressure, water Pore
h stress, Total
w w
w w
= =
=
=
( )
( )( )
1 w sat
1 w w
1 sat w w
h u ' stress, Effective
h h u pressure, water Pore
) (h h stress, Total
= =
+ =
=
+
( )
( )
( )( )
2 1 w sat
2 1 w
2 1 sat
h h u ' stress, Effective
h h u pressure, water Pore
h h stress, Total
+ = =
+ =
+ =
h
w
Effective stress concept
1. Water level is far away from the soil surface + uniform load
h
1
h
2
dry

sat

A

B

C

q u ' stress, Effective
0 0 u pressure, water Pore
q stress, Total
w
= =
= =
=
1 dry
w
1 dry
h q u ' stress, Effective
0 0 u pressure, water Pore
h q stress, Total
+ = =
= =
+ =
( )
2 w sat 1 dry
2 w
2 sat 1 dry
h h q u ' stress, Effective
h u pressure, water Pore
h h q stress, Total
+ + = =
=
+ + =
q (kN/m
2
)

Stresses in saturated soil with seepage
The effective stress in soil is different from static condition when there
have upward or downward seepage of water.
The effective stress for downward seepage is higher than upward
seepage
Upward seepage
Stresses in saturated soil with seepage
Downward seepage
Stresses in saturated soil with seepage
Example 1
A 9 m thick of stiff saturated soil clay underlain by a layer of sand. The
sand is under artesian pressure. Calculate the maximum depth of cut H
that can be made in the clay.
Stresses in saturated soil with seepage
Solution
( )
w A
clay sat A
u
H

o
6 . 3
9
) (
=
=
Heave occur when o
A
is 0
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
m H so
H
H u
w clay sat A A
04 . 7
18
81 . 9 6 . 3 18 9
,
0 81 . 9 6 . 3 18 9
0 6 . 3 9
) (
=

=
=
= = o
Stresses in saturated soil with seepage
Example 2
A cut is made in a stiff, saturated clay that is underlain by a layer of sand.
What should be the height of the water, h, in the cut so that the stability of
the saturated clay is not lost.
Stresses in saturated soil with seepage
Solution
( )
2
) (
kN/m 9.81) ( ) 19 2 ( 5 7 h h
w clay sat A
+ = + = o
2
kN/m 44.15 81 . 9 5 . 4 5 . 4 = = =
w A
u
For loss of stability, o = 0
m h so
h
u
A A
63 . 0 ,
0 15 . 44 81 . 9 38
0
=
= +
= o
VERTICAL STRESS DUE TO LOADING
Stress Due To a Point Load
assumed that the soil is elastic, homogeneous and isotropic
Stress Due To a Point Load
)
`

+
+

= A
2 3
2
2
2 2
5
2
) (
) 2 1 (
3
2 r L
z y
z L Lr
y x
L
z x P
x
u
t
o
)
`

+
+

= A
2 3
2
2
2 2
5
2
) (
) 2 1 (
3
2 r L
z x
z L Lr
x y
L
z y P
y
u
t
o
2 / 5 2 2
3
5
3
) ( 2
3
2
3
z r
z P
L
z P
z
+
= = A
t t
o
X - AXIS
NOTE:

2 2
y x r + =
2 2 2 2 2
z r z y x L + = + + =
u = Poissons Ratio
Horizontal stress in x
direction
Vertical stress
Horizontal stress in y
direction
( )
1
2
2
5
2
2
1
1
2
3
I
z
P
z
r
z
P
z
=
|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
(

+
= A
t
o
Stress Due To a Point Load
X - AXIS
NOTE:

Vertical stress
( )
1
2
2
5
2
2
1
1
2
3
I
z
P
z
r
z
P
z
=
|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
(

+
= A
t
o
Stress Due To a Line Load
X - AXIS
( )
2
2 2
3
2
z x
qz
+
= A
t
o
( ) ( )
2
2
1
2
+
= A
z x z
q
t
o
( )
( ) ( )
2
2
1
2
+
=
A
z x
z q
t
o
Stress Due To a Line Load
X - AXIS
Note: The value of Ao does not include the overburden pressure of the
soil above point A
( )
( ) ( )
2
2
1
2
+
=
A
z x
z q
t
o
Stress Due To a Uniformly Loaded Circular Area
X - AXIS
( ) | |
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
= A
2 3
2
1
1
1
z R
q o
Example: circular foundation, water tank
Stress Due To a Uniformly Loaded Circular Area
X - AXIS
Stress Due To a Rectangular Loaded Area
X - AXIS Many structural foundations are rectangular. The increase in stress below
the corner of a rectangular are
3
qI
z
= Ao
Where;

q = Load per unit area
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
+ +
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
+ +
+ + +
+ +
=

1 ' ' ' '
1 ' ' ' ' 2
tan
1 ' '
2 ' '
1 ' ' ' '
1 ' ' ' ' 2
4
1
2 2 2 2
2 2
1
2 2
2 2
2 2 2 2
2 2
3
n m n m
n m n m
n m
n m
n m n m
n m n m
I
t
Note: If the m
2
+n
2
+1< m
2
n
2
, add t to the angle.
In radian
z
L
n
z
B
m = = ' '
Stress Due To a
Rectangular Loaded
Area
X - AXIS
The value of I
3
also
can be determine
using this chart
Stress Due To a Rectangular Loaded Area
The increase in stress below the center of a rectangular are
c c
qI = Ao
Where; q = Load per unit area
B
z
B
z
n
B
L
m
2
2

1 1
= = =
) , (
1 1
n m f I
c
=
Stress Due To a Rectangular Loaded Area
Lateral Earth Pressure
Lateral Earth Pressure
Lateral earth pressure can be divided into:

1) At- rest pressure
2) Active Pressure
3) Passive Pressure
At-rest Pressure
o
h
o
K
'
'
o
o
=
z =
Researchers K
0
Note
Jaky (1944)
| is drained friction
angle
Mayne & Kulhawy
(1982)
For over consolidated
coarse grained soil
Massarsch (1979)
For fine grained ,
normally consolidated
soils
' sin 1 | =
o
K
' sin
) )( ' sin 1 (
|
| OCR K
o
=
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
100
(%)
42 . 0 44 . 0
PI
K
o
Coefficient of earth pressure at rest
How to calculate the total force per unit
length of the wall (P
o
)?
P
o
= K
o
H
2
1/3H
H
K
o
H
Rankines Theory of active and passive earth
pressures
Rankines theory assumes that:

1) No friction on the wall
2) The wall at the soil interface is vertical
3) Can be used for horizontal and sloping backfill
Rankines active earth pressures
|
.
|

\
|

|
.
|

\
|
=
2
'
45 tan ' 2
2
'
45 tan '
2
| |
o c z
a
Rankines active earth pressures
|
.
|

\
|

|
.
|

\
|
=
2
'
45 tan ' 2
2
'
45 tan '
2
| |
o c z
a
For cohesionless soil, c=0

|
.
|

\
|
=
2
'
45 tan '
2
|
o z
a
So,
|
.
|

\
|
= =
2
'
45 tan
'
'
2
|
o
o
o
a
a
K
Rankines active earth pressures
|
.
|

\
|

|
.
|

\
|
=
2
'
45 tan ' 2
2
'
45 tan '
2
| |
o c z
a
For cohesion soil
Rankines passive earth pressures
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
2
'
45 tan ' 2
2
'
45 tan '
2
| |
o c z
p
Rankines passive earth pressures
For cohesionless soil, c=0

|
.
|

\
|
+ =
2
'
45 tan '
2
|
o z
a
So,
|
.
|

\
|
+ = =
2
'
45 tan
'
'
2
|
o
o
o
a
p
K
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
2
'
45 tan ' 2
2
'
45 tan '
2
| |
o c z
p
Rankines passive earth pressures
|
.
|

\
|
+ +
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
2
'
45 tan ' 2
2
'
45 tan '
2
| |
o c z
p
For cohesion soil
Rankines active pressure with sloping granular
backfill
' cos cos cos
' cos cos cos
cos
2 2
2 2
| o o
| o o
o
+

=
a
K
Coulombs Earth Pressure
Coulombs theory assume that:

1) Consider the wall friction
2) Consider sloping wall
3) Consider sloping backfill
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
2
2
2
cos ' cos
' sin ' ' sin
1 ' cos cos
' cos
(

+
+
+ +

=
o u u o
o | | o
u o u
u |
a
K
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
2
2
2
cos ' cos
' sin ' ' sin
1 ' cos cos
' cos
(

+

+
=
u o u o
o | o |
u o u
u |
p
K
Coulombs Earth Pressure
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
2
2
2
cos ' cos
' sin ' ' sin
1 ' cos cos
' cos
(

+
+
+ +

=
o u u o
o | | o
u o u
u |
a
K
Coulombs Earth Pressure
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
2
2
2
cos ' cos
' sin ' ' sin
1 ' cos cos
' cos
(

+

+
=
u o u o
o | o |
u o u
u |
p
K