Vertical Stress in Soil
EFFECTIVE STRESSES IN SOILS
In nature, a given soil volume contains voids. These voids may be water and/or air which are randomly
distributed throughout the given volume of soil. Another important concept in geotechnical engineering is
the study of stresses in soil put upon by the application of loads.
Stress is defined as the load divided by the area over which it acts. In geotechnical engineering, a
compressive stress is considered positive and tensile stress is negative.
P 𝜎= = 𝐾𝑁/𝑚 Kpa/psf P
Under Compressive
Soil stress (Positive Stress) Soil Under Tensile stress
(Negative Stress)
P
P
The forces on any soil element are divided into two categories:
1. Body forces – causes by earth gravity, buoyancy, and water seepage.
2. Contact forces – forces between soil particles in contact.
Effective stress (PE or ’) is the stress transmitted through grain to grain at the point of contact through soil mass.
It is the difference between total stress and pore water pressure.
Pore water pressure or neutral stress (Pw or u) is the pressure due to water contained in the voids or refers to the
pressure of groundwater held within a soil or rock, in gaps between particles (pores)
Total stress (PT or ) is the sum of the effective stress and pore water pressure.
Stress in soil
Without Seepage
Moist Unit Weight Dry Unit Weight
Dry Unit Weight
Saturated Unit Weight
Stresses In Soil Without Seepage
Considering the soil element in the figure, the effective stress, pore water pressure, and total stress
are computed for point A as shown.
Effective stress:
Water
hw
𝑃 =𝛾ℎ
h Pore water pressure:
𝐴 𝑃 =𝛾 ℎ
Total stress
𝑃 =𝑃 +𝑃
where:
’ = submerged or buoyant unit weight of the soil
' soil w
w=unit weight of water
Illustrative Problems:
1. A clay layer 10 m thick rests beneath a deposit of submerged sand 3 m thick. The ground water
table is located on the surface of the sand. The saturated unit weight of the sand is 20 kN/m3
and of clay is 22 kN/m3. At mid-height of the clay layer, calculate the effective pressure, pore
water pressure, and total stress.
Solution:
At mid-height of the clay layer
3m
Sand 20 kN m 3 3m
Effective stress:
5m 𝑃 =𝛾ℎ
10 m
Clay
A
𝑃 =𝛾 ℎ +𝛾 ℎ
22 kN m 3
𝛾′ = 𝛾 −𝛾
PE ( 20 9.81)3 ( 22 9.81)5
PE 91 .52 kPa
Pore pressure: Total stress:
PW ( wh) PT PE PW
P W 9 . 81 ( 3 5 ) PT 91.52 78.48
PW 78 .48 kPa PT 170kPa
2. A clay layer 25 ft thick is overlain with 50 ft thick of sand (G = 2.71). The water table is 20 ft below the
sand (ground) surface. The saturated unit weight of clay is 141 pcf. The sand below the water table
has a unit weight of 128 pcf. The sand above the water table has average moisture content of 20%.
After drying, the sand was found to have a dry unit weight of 92 pcf. Determine the effective stress at
the mid-height of the clay layer.
Solution:
G 2.71 Determine the moist unit weight
92 pcf
20 ft
Sand
20% dry
of dry sand on the first layer
50 ft
𝛾 𝛾
Sand 128 pcf 30 ft 𝛾 = 92 =
1+𝑤 1 + 0.20
𝛾 = 110.40 pcf
sat 141 pcf 12.5 ft
25 ft
Clay
At mid-height of the clay layer,
Effective stress:
PE ( s1h)sand ( ' h)sand ( ' h)clay
PE 110.4(20) (128 62.4)30 (141 62.4)12.5
𝑃 = 5,158.5 psf
3. The surface of a saturated sand layer (G = 2.68, e = 0.32) is located 6 m below the
surface of water. Find the effective stress, neutral stress, and the total stress at a
layer 5 m from the sand surface
Effective stress:
PE ' h
6m Water
PE (22.3 9.81)5
PE 62.45kPa
G 2.68
Neutral stress or Pore water pressure:
5m
Pw whw
Sand
e 0.32
Solution Pw 9.81(5 6)
Solve for the unit weight of the sand.
Pw 107 .91kPa
( G e ) w Total stress PT PE Pw
sat
1 e PT 62.45 107.91
(2.68 0.32)9.81
sat PT 170 .36 kPa
1 0.32
kN
sat 22.30
m3
Problem 4:
from the given soil profile shown below, the ground surface is subjected to a uniformly distributed load
of 80 Kpa.
a.) Draw the Pressure Diagram
b.) Compute the total effective pressure at the mid-height of the clay
∆𝑃 = 80𝐾𝑃𝐴
13.6 0 = 0 𝝈 = 𝜸′𝒉
1.5m
Sand 𝛾 = 13.6𝐾𝑁/𝑚
13.6(1.5) = 20.4𝐾𝑝𝑎
𝑒 = 0.52
3.2m
Sand 𝐺 = 2.70
(20.78-9.81)(3.2) = 35.104𝐾𝑝𝑎
20.4𝐾𝑝𝑎 35.104𝐾𝑝𝑎
2.0m
4.0
Clay 𝛾
= 19𝐾𝑁/𝑚 (19-9.81)(4.0) = 36.76𝐾𝑝𝑎
80Kpa 55.504𝐾𝑝𝑎 36.76𝐾𝑝𝑎
(𝐺𝑠 + 𝑒)𝛾
𝛾 ( ) = b.) Compute the effective pressure at the mid-height of
1+𝑒 the clay
2.70 + 0.52 9.81 𝝈 /𝑷𝑬 = 80 + 55.504 + (19-9.81)(2.0)= 153.884KPa
= 20.78𝐾𝑁/𝑚
1 + 0.52
Problem 5:
A soil deposit is shown in the figure. The ground water table, initially at the ground surface, was
lowered to a depth of 25 ft below the ground. After such lowering, the degree of saturation of the
sand above water table was lowered to 20%. Determine the following:
a) the vertical effective pressure at the mid-height of the clay layer before lowering of the water table
b) the vertical effective pressure at the mid-height of the clay layer after lowering of the water table?
c) the vertical effective pressure at mid-height of the clay layer when there is no water in the sand
layer?
Water table
Ground surface
Solution:
a) Vertical pressure at mid-height of the clay layer, before
lowering of the water table
50 ft sat 135 pcf PE ( ' h ) sand ( ' h ) clay
Sand
d 116 pcf PE (135 62.4)50 (120 62.4)12.5
PE 4350 kPa
25 ft
Clay sat 120 pcf
b) Vertical pressure at mid-height of the clay layer, after lowering of the water
table
d S ( sat d ) The unit weight of the sand when the degree of saturation is 20% is
116 0.20(135 116)
119 .80 pcf
PE ( h ) sand ( ' h ) sand ( ' h ) clay
25 ft
Sand 119.80 pcf
PE (119.8)25 (135 62.4)25 (120 62.4)12.5
25 ft
Sand sat 135 pcf
PE 5530 psf
25 ft
Clay sat 120 pcf
c. the vertical effective pressure at mid- height of clay layer when there is no water in the
sand layer sand layer?
50 ft Sand 119.80 pcf
PE ( h ) sand ( ' h ) clay
PE (119.8)50 (120 62.4)12.5
25 ft Clay sat 120 pcf
PE 6710kPa
STRESS IN
SATURATED SOIL
W/ SEEPAGE
UPWARD SEEPAGE AND
DOWNWARD SEEPAGE
