STRESS DISTRIBUTION AT A CERTAIN POINT IN THE SOIL MASS DUE TO

SURFACE LOADING

In previous topic we have seen that soil itself can generate stress that we called stress induced by
the self weight of the soil mass. The present point is now the stress distribution due to additional
load or surface load.

Let take a given point (element) which is located within studied soil mass and see how stresses
are distributed at that point due to surface loading; later we shall analyze various shapes of that
surface load.( concentrated load or point load, distributed load such as uniformly loaded circular
surface, rectangular lamina…) .The vertical stress increase in soil due to various type of loading.
At any point in soil the stress applied from own weight of soil which called effective stress, and
from external load which called net stress, the net stress which applied must be determined.

The stress on element:

As shown in fig. (1) The stresses on element are as follow:

On plan XY the stress are σz, τzx , τzy

YZ the stress are σx, τxy, τxz

ZX the stress are σy, τyz, τyx

From this σz, σx, σy its stresses called normal stresses, but the other is called shear stresses which
is τxy, τyx, τzy, τyz, τxz, τzx.

Each stress is represented by its magnitude, direction as well as the position of the plane on
which is acting. For example:

τyx :means the shear stress acting on the face of the element which is perpendicular to Y-axis
and is acting in the direction parallel to X axis.

Signs:

For normal stress

In soil mechanics, compressing normal stress is considered positive while pulling stress is
considered negative.

For shear stress

 When the direction of normal stress and the direction of its axis are identical, then the
shear stress is positive when it’s direction and direction of its axis are identical otherwise
it is negative.
 When the direction of normal stress and the direction of its axis are opposite, then the
shear stress is positive when it’s direction and the direction of it’s axis are opposite,
otherwise is negative
As introduced above, surface loading may be of various shapes but let see
common of them: but later we shall analyze in details some of them.
 Common Shapes of external load:

1. Point load on concentrated load applied from column, wheel of

machine, load called point load, because it is effect in point.

2. Line load which the load is effect on line as the load on

Rail way and Dimension ton/m'.

3. Uniform load which the load effect on area, whereas the

load uniform and dimension ton/m2

4. Triangular load which applied from embankment, so from

the dam, the load dimension is ton/m'

5.

The loads mention before are uniform load, but the area which load is effect is changed two of
them are regular as circular and strip but the other is irregular area although the load is uniform.
  A simple look on coordinate systems

Polar coordinate system:

As we know the Cartesian coordinate system

which shown in fig. (2) Any point (A) in this
system defined as three dimension x, y, z.

In polar coordinate system point in this system

defined as (r, φ, Z) as shown in fig. (3).

The relation between polar and Cartesian

coordinates as shown in fig. (4).

r = x2  y2

R = r2  z2 = x2  y2  z 2

Z
Cos α = R
 1) Stress distribution under vertical concentrated load :( Stress Caused By a Point Load)
The Principle
When a load applied at the earth's surface is transferred down into the earth it spreads out
and the magnitude decreases. This effect may be illustrated in the figure below. Imagine
that the soil is composed of small spheres packed together. At the surface, the force is
applied to only one sphere. In the second layer, stress is applied to two spheres. In the
third layer, three spheres are stressed. Thus, the area affected by the surface load
increases with depth, and the magnitude decreases.

Boussinesq’s Method:

When a point load Q acting on the surface of a semi infinite solid, a vertical stress σz produces at
any point in addition to lateral and shear stress

Assumptions of Boussinesq theory:

 a. For soil, the soil mass is elastic, isotropic, homogeneous and semi-infinite.

b. The soil is weightless.

c. For load, the load is vertical, concentrated acting on the surface.

d. Hook’s Low Applied, it means that the constant ratio between stress and strain.

Boussinesq’s Formula:

Boussinesq’s solved the problem of stresses produced

at any point (A) due to point load Q.

At point (A) …

σz = ×

σz = ×

= × R5 = (r2 + Z2)5/2

=
×

=
×
 =
×

×
=

Ip
=
σz = × Ip

Where:

σz : Vertical stress at point A as shown in fig.(5)

Z : Vertical dimension for point A at load

r r
Ip : Influence factor depend on ( z ) = F ( z )

Q : Point load
 r
The variation of Ip for various value of z is given in table (1).

Table (1)
 Practical Examples

Example 1

For concentrated vertical load equal 100 KN determine vertical normal stress σz at point A (r,
θ, z) = (1, 20 o, 2) and point B (x, y, z) = (0, 2, 4)

Solution:

For point A:

r 1
z = 2 = 0.5 From table Ip = 0.2733

Q
2
σz = Z Ip

= × 0.2733 = 6.833 KN/m2

For point B:

r = x2  y2 = 2

r 2
z = 4 = 0.5 Ip = 0.2733

Q
2
σz = Z Ip

× 0.2733 = 1.71 KN/m2

=
Example (2):

Determine point load which make vertical normal stress of 6 ton/m2 at point

A (2, 0, 1). Don’t increase on.

Solution:

r = x2  y2 = 2

r 2
z = 1 = 2 Ip = 0.0084

Q
2
σz = Z Ip

6 1
Q = 0.0084 = 714.3 ton
 Distribution of stress in horizontal and vertical planes

a. Stress Distribution under vertical load on vertical plan:

Q
2
σz = Z Ip

At vertical plan under load Q assume r=0

r
z =0 from table (1)

Ip = 0.4775

Q
2
σz = Z Ip

Z 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 1 2 4 6

σz ∞ 47.8 Q 12 Q 5.3 Q 3Q 2Q 0.48 Q 0.12 Q 0.03 Q 0.01 Q

b. Stress Distribution under vertical load on horizontal plan:

At hl plan

Z = Constant

Q
2
σz = Z Ip

assume Z=1m
 r 0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 4.0
r/z 0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 4.0
Ip 0.478 0.275 0.087 0.025 0.01 0.0004
σz 0.478 Q 0.275 Q 0.087 Q 0.025 Q 0.01 Q 0.0004 Q

Try this example within your free time:i

A single concentrated load Q=200KN is acting at point 0 of ground surface. Calculate

a) The distribution of stress at the horizontal plane (with interval of 1m) situated at 3m of depth.

b) The distribution of stress at the vertical plane (with depth interval of 1m) at

r =1m from point 0.

2) Vertical stress under circular uniform load:

Circular uniform load shown in Fig (8)

At point A we can calculate the vertical stress.

Assume small element with area rdφ.dr

of the uniform load q from Boussinesq’s theory

dQ = qdr.rdφ

σz = q

σz = q . A
 This equation when the point A lies on C.G of uniform load

To calculate vertical stress to point I which has distance equal r (see fig. (8) And table (2).

σz = q (A + B) This is a general formula to determine vertical stress under uniformly

circular load.

Note: some authors prefer not to split these influence factors (A&B) and provide table which
combine these two influence factors in one factor.

Where:

σz : Vertical stress at point I

q : Uniform circular load

Z r
A,B : Partially influence factor depend on ( a , a )
Table (2)
Practical example

Circular foundation diameter 10 m with uniform load q = 150 KN/m2. Determine σz at point
I, II at depth 10 m.

Solution:

At point I

Z 10
a = 5 =2

r
a =0

= 0.106 & B = 0.179

σZI = q (A + B)

= 150 [0.106 + 0.179] = 42.75 KN/m2

At point II

Z 10
a = 5 =2

r 7 .5
a = 5 = 1.5

from table A = 0.063 & B = 0.064

σZII = q (A + B) = 150 [0.063 + 0.064] = 19.05 KN/m2

Try this example during your free time

On circular foundation with radius equal to 1m, there is acting a concentrated load Q=200 KN.
Calculate the distribution of stress below the frontier of that foundation and compare the result
with that you can obtain when this concentrated load is acting itself directly (without this
circular foundation )

3) Vertical stress under uniform load at corner

Now after analysis of stress distribution at a given point within soil mass, then we are to
approach the reality of engineering calculation as we meet few cases which correspond to a
single concentrated load where we can immediately use boussinesq equation to calculate the
stress in soil mass, in opposite we use to meet the loads which are distributed on given surfaces
and these surfaces are of different forms the present situation is the case of a rectangular uniform
load.

You are going to meet 3 important situations depending on the location of studied element:

 Calculation of stress distribution when studied element is immediately located below the
centre of gravity of a loading area at a depth z.
 Calculation of stress distribution when studied element is located below the corner of
loading area
 Calculation of stress distribution when studied element is located below the surface at
any point.( here two cases are to be considered : studied element may be located outside
the c.g of loading surface but still situated within the shadow of loading surface or the
element situated outside the shadow of loading surface always at a given depth let say z.)

 The first two situations can be analyzed using following equation.

Vertical stress under uniform load at corner
[Fadum Method]:

The load is uniform load q effected on

rectangular area B*L at vertical dimension Z
to calculate σz at point (A) under the corner
of load for point load. As we known the
vertical stress σz is as follow

from this
 σz = q IP

where:

IP =

M=

n =

B L
The value IP directly calculated from table as a function in Z , Z

As shown in table (3)

Table (3)
 The 3rd situation will use the same formula but the approach will be as follow:

For the case when the studied element (point) is outside the c.g of loading area but
still within the shaded zone at depth z, we proceed as follow to calculate the stress at
that point:

Let name the studied point as (p) at depth z and its vertical projection up to the
loading element as A.

Through the point A we divide the rectangle (that loading shape) in four small
rectangles in the way that the point A lies at the corner of these four small rectangles
(A is shared as corner of these 4 small rectangles) now we can use the formula seen
above to calculate stress distribution for each rectangle then the summation is done
for loaded rectangle.

For the element situated outside the shadow of loading surface, similarly through
the point A we construct small rectangles in such way that all these rectangles share
the corner. And the loaded rectangle may be considered to be the algebraic sum of
the small rectangles and each rectangle participating in summation must have one of
the corner points at point A.

NB: In using the above tables one may face the case where the value is not directly
seen in those tables in that case interpolation is done.

PRACTICAL EXERCISES.