MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY

School of Engineering and Technology

Department of Engineering

CIE352:- SOIL MECHANICS

• LECTURE 4 – STRESSES
TOTAL STRESSES IN SOILS

2
 Introduction
• Stress-strain relationships in soils can be studied
by first calling to mind the typical stress-strain
plot obtained for a metal.
• Results of a tensile test on a metal specimen are
examined.
• Plotting the corresponding values of tensile strain
against tensile stress allows us to obtain a stress-
strain relationship that is equally applicable in
tension and compression.
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 Introduction
This stress – strain relationship or behaviour can
also used in understanding how soils behave
under applied loading.

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 Introduction
• Figure (b) represents the ideal elastic-plastic
material.
• Figure (c) depicts compressive stress – strain
relationships typical for all soil types up to their
peak values.
• In reality, this stress – strain relationship for soil
is never linear.
• Therefore, the design engineer should assume the
soil behave ideally as in Fig. (b).
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 Stresses within a soil mass
• To carry out geotechnical analysis, we must start
by estimating the stress state at particular points
in the soil.
• Consider an elemental cube of soil at any point.
• It is subjected to stress, σ, acting normal to the
planes of the cube.
• It is also subjected to shear stress, τ, parallel to
each plane.
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Stresses within a soil mass

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 Effective stress
• We know that soil is made up of grains,
interconnected with void spaces (air + water).
• The volume of soil can change due to the
rearrangement of soil particles.
• Similarly, the forces acting between particles also
changes.
• Stresses in soil may be shear stress or normal
stress.
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 Effective stress
• Terzaghi (1943) developed a theory that
described the many forces acting on soil
particles within a soil mass.
• The principle of effective stress.
• This applies only to fully saturated soils.

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 Effective stress
Total Normal stress (σ): the force per unit area
acting in the normal direction across the plane.

Pore water pressure (u): is exerted on the soil by

the water in the void space.

Effective Normal stress (σ’): is the stress

transmitted through the soil only due to inter
particle forces.
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Effective
stress

11
 Effective stress
• The force, P, is resisted by interparticle
forces and pressure from pore water.
• Resisting forces can be divided into normal
(N’) and tangential (T) components.
Therefore, effective stress:
σ 𝑁′
σ′ =
𝐴
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 Effective stress
Total normal stress:
𝑃
σ=
𝐴
The pore water pressure acts over the area (A).
Therefore, P, can be equated to:
P=Σ𝑁′ + 𝑢. 𝐴
𝑃 Σ𝑁′
Or, = +𝑢
𝐴 𝐴

𝝈 = 𝝈′ + 𝒖
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Effective vertical stress – due to self-
weight of soil
• Consider a soil mass having a water table at the
surface.
• Total vertical stress (σv) acting at a depth (z) from
the surface is equal to the weight of all material
above z.
𝝈𝒗 = 𝜸𝒔𝒂𝒕 ∗ 𝒛

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Effective vertical stress – due to self-
weight of soil
The pore water pressure can be expressed as:
𝑢 = 𝛾𝑤 . 𝑧
Hence,
𝜎′𝑣 = 𝜎𝑣 − 𝑢
Can also be written as,

𝝈′𝒗 = 𝜸𝒔𝒂𝒕 − 𝜸𝒘 . 𝒛
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Response of effective stress to a change
in total stress
• Static pore water pressure (us) is a constant value
governed by the position of the water table.
• Pore water pressure is increased above the static
value immediately after increase in total stress is
occurs.
• This pore water above the static level is called
excess pore water pressure (ue).

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Response of effective stress to a change
in total stress
𝑰𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆, 𝒖𝒆
= 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔, ∆𝝈

• This increase in pore pressures causes a hydraulic

gradient that makes the pore water flow towards
the free draining boundary of soil.
• This flow will continue until the pore water
pressure is equal to the static pore water
pressure.
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Response of effective stress to a change
in total stress
• Therefore, at any given time:
𝒖 = 𝒖𝒔 + 𝒖𝒆
• When ue reduces as drainage occurs, it is referred
to as dissipation.
• The soil is referred to as drained condition when
dissipation is completed.
• As excess pore water dissipates, effective vertical
stress increases.
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Response of effective stress to a change
in total stress
• The increase in effective vertical stress causes a
reduction in volume.
• Time taken for dissipation to complete depends
on soil permeability.

DECREASE IN INCREASE IN
PORE WATER EFFECTIVE CONSOLIDATION
DISSIPATION STRESS

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Consolidation analogy

FAS 2024 Undrained condition Drained condition

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 Effective stress in partially saturated soils

𝜎 = 𝜎 ′ + 𝑢𝑎 − χ 𝑢 𝑎 − 𝑢𝑤
Where χ – parameter relating to the degree of air
saturation;
(𝜎′ + 𝑢 𝑎 ) – net stress;
𝑢𝑎 − 𝑢𝑤 - suction in soil.
Also, the total force acting on a soil given by:
𝜎. 𝐴 = 𝜎 ′ . 𝐴 + 𝑢 𝑤 . χ. 𝐴 + 𝑢𝑎 1 − χ . 𝐴
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STRESSES INDUCED BY LOADS

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Stresses induced by point loads
• Most applied loads in soils are from foundations
of structures.
• Thus, the stresses in the soil directly below the
foundation are different from those in the soil at
the same depth, but at some distance from the
load.
• To analyse stress distributions in soils, assume
that it acts as a continuous, homogenous and
elastic medium.

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Stresses induced by point loads
• These assumptions are suitable for most routine
design work.
• In this course we will study the vertical stress
distributions and the increase in shear stresses.
• Boussinesq (1885) developed equations that can
be used to determine the 6 stress components that
act at a point due to a vertical point load on a
horizontal surface.

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 Stresses induced by point loads

Increase in vertical
3
stress 3
3𝑃𝑧 3𝑃𝑧
∆𝜎𝑧= 5 =
2𝜋𝐿 2 2
2𝜋(𝑟 + 𝑧 )ൗ 2
5

where P – concentrated point load;

r= (𝑥2+𝑦2)
L= 𝑥 2 + 𝑦2 + 𝑧2 = 𝑟 2 + 𝑧2

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Stresses induced by point loads
The equation for increase in vertical stress can be re-
written as:
𝑃 3 1 𝑃
∆𝜎𝑧 = 2 { = 2 . 𝐼1
𝑧 2𝜋 2
5
2 𝑧
𝑟Τ + 1 ൗ
𝑧

I1 is referred to as the influence factor.

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Stresses induced by point loads
The figure shows a
plot of influence
coefficients, I1 vs.
values of r/z from 0
to 3.

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Stresses induced by point loads
The following
table shows the
variation of I1 for
different values
of r/z.

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Stresses caused by vertical line loads
• Consider a line load of infinite length that has
intensity of q/ unit length acting on a soil mass.
• The principles from the theory of elasticity can
be used to determine the stress increment, Δσz.

2𝑞𝑧3
∆𝜎𝑧=
𝜋(𝑥2 + 𝑧2)2

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 Stresses caused by vertical line loads
This can be re-written as:
2𝑞
∆𝜎𝑧=
𝜋𝑧[ 𝑥Τ𝑧 2 + 1]2

Or
∆𝜎𝑧 2
𝑞 =
(ൗ 𝜋[ 𝑥Τ𝑧 2 + 1]2

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Stresses caused by vertical line loads
• The previous equation is in a non-dimensional
form.
• It allows one to calculate the variation Δσz/(q/z)
with (x/z).
• Δσz is the stress increment caused by the line
load, not including the overburden pressure of
the soil directly above.

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Stresses caused by vertical line loads

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 Stresses caused by vertical line loads

The plot variation

of Δσz/(q/z) with
± (x/z).

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Stresses caused by uniform rectangular
loads
• These are established using Steinbrenner’s
method (1934).
• Consider a foundation a length L and width B
exerting a pressure p on the soil.
• The vertical stress increment due to the
foundation at depth, z, at one of the corners will
be:
∆𝜎𝑧 = 𝑝𝐼𝜎

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Stresses caused by uniform rectangular
loads
where 𝐼𝜎 is an influence factor depending on the
foundation dimensions L, B and z.

• 𝐼𝜎 can be evaluated by Boussinesq’ theory and values

of this factor which are dependent on two coefficients
m = B/z and n = L/z.
• Determination of vertical stress increment can be
simplified by splitting up the foundation into several
rectangles with corners that meet above the point
considered. FAS 2024 35
Stresses caused by uniform rectangular
loads

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END OF SESSION