FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Course Module:
ECG3223
GEOTECHNICS

Chapter 4
Part III
Stress Distribution and
Settlement
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 CHAPTER OVERVIEW
Chapter 4: Stress Distribution and Settlement
introduced students on the:

1. Vertical stresses in soil due to foundations.

2. Calculation of stresses due to applied loads on
foundations.
3. Immediate settlement.
4. Consolidation settlement.

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 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. To introduce the basic concept of stress distribution

and settlement in foundations.
2. To calculate the vertical stresses due to applied loads.
3. To calculate the immediate settlement on
foundations.
4. To calculate the consolidation settlement on
foundations.

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 CONTENTS

This chapter consist of the following topics:

For Stress Distribution (1st Part - Completed)

1. Introduction to vertical stress distribution.

2. Stress due to a Concentrated/Point Load.
3. Stress due to a Circularly Loaded Area.
4. Stress due to a Vertical Line Load.
5. Stress due to a Horizontal Line Load.
6. Stress below a Vertical Strip Load (Finite width and Infinite length).
7. Stress below a Rectangular Area.
8. Average Vertical Stress Increase due to a Rectangular Loaded Area.
9. Average Vertical Stress Increase below the Center of a Circularly
Loaded Area.
10. Stress Increase under an Embankment.

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 This chapter consist of the following topics:

For Settlement (2nd Part)

1. Introduction
2. Elastic Settlement
3. Elastic Settlement of Shallow Foundation on Saturated Clay
4. Elastic Settlement in Granular Soil: Settlement based on Theory of
Elasticity
5. Consolidation Settlement:
i. Primary Consolidation Settlement Relationships
ii. Three-Dimensional Effect on Primary Consolidation Settlement
iii. Settlement due to Secondary Consolidation

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 1. Introduction to Soil Settlement
 A stress increase caused by the construction of foundations or other loads
compresses the soil layers. The compression is caused by:
(a) Deformation of soil particles,
(b) Relocations of soil particles, and
(c) Expulsion of water or air from the void spaces.

 In general, the soil settlement caused by load may be divided into three (3) broad
categories:

1. Immediate settlement or elastic settlement, which is caused by the elastic

deformation of dry soil and of moist and saturated soils without any change
in the moisture content. Immediate settlement calculations are generally based
on equations derived from the theory of elasticity.

2. Primary consolidation settlement, which is the result of a volume change in

saturated cohesive soils because of the expulsion of water that occupies the
void spaces.

3. Secondary consolidation settlement, which is observed in saturated cohesive

soils and is the result of the plastic adjustment of soil fabrics. It follows the
primary consolidation settlement under a constant effective stress. PowerPoint® Slides by
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 The total settlement of a foundation can then be given as:

 When foundations are constructed on very compressible clays, the consolidation

settlement can be several times greater than the elastic settlement.

This chapter will cover the following:

 Procedure for calculating elastic settlement

 Estimation of consolidation settlement (primary and secondary).

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 2. Elastic Settlement
2.1 Contact Pressure and Settlement Profile

 Elastic, or immediate, settlement of foundations (Se) occurs directly after the

application of a load without a change in the moisture content of the soil.
 The magnitude of the contact settlement will depend on the flexibility of the
foundation and the type of material on which it is resting.

 In the previous part, the relationships for determining the increase in stress (which
causes elastic settlement) due to the application of line load, strip load, embankment
load, circular load, and rectangular load were based on the following assumptions:
1. The load is applied at the ground surface.
2. The loaded area is flexible.
3. The soil medium is homogeneous, elastic, isotropic, and extends to a great
depth.

 In general, foundations are not perfectly flexible and are embedded at a certain
depth below the ground surface.
 It is instructive, however, to evaluate the distribution of the contact pressure under a
foundation along with the settlement profile under idealized conditions.

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 Figure 4.1a shows a perfectly
flexible foundation resting on an
elastic material such as saturated
clay.

 If the foundation is subjected to a

uniformly distributed load, the
contact pressure will be uniform and
the foundation will experience a
sagging profile.

 On the other hand, if we consider a

perfectly rigid foundation resting on
the ground surface subjected to a
uniformly distributed load, the
contact pressure and foundation
Figure 4.1 Elastic settlement profile and contact pressure in clay: (a)
settlement profile will be as shown in
flexible foundation; (b) rigid foundation.
Figure 4.1b.

 The foundation will undergo a

uniform settlement and the contact
pressure will be redistributed.
 The settlement profile and contact
pressure distribution described are true
for soils in which the modulus of
elasticity is fairly constant with depth.

 In the case of cohesionless sand, the

modulus of elasticity increases with
depth.

 Additionally, there is a lack of lateral

confinement on the edge of the
foundation at the ground surface.

 The sand at the edge of a flexible

foundation is pushed outward, and the
deflection curve of the foundation takes
a concave downward shape.
Figure 4.2 Elastic settlement profile and contact pressure in sand: (a)
flexible foundation; (b) rigid foundation
 The distributions of contact pressure
and the settlement profiles of a flexible
and a rigid foundation resting on sand
and subjected to uniform loading are
shown in Figures 4.2a and 4.2b,
respectively.
 3. Elastic Settlement of Shallow Foundation on
Saturated Clay (μs = 0.5)
 Janbu et al. (1956) proposed an equation for evaluating the average
settlement of flexible foundations on saturated clay soils (Poisson’s ratio, μs
= 0.5).
 Referring to Figure 4.3, the elastic settlement relationship can be expressed
as,

Eq. 4.1

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 Figure 4.3 Values of A1 and A2 for elastic settlement calculation—Eq. 1 (After Christian and Carrier, 1978)

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 Christian and Carrier (1978) modified the values of A1 and A2 to some extent and
is presented in Figure 4.3.
 The modulus of elasticity (Es) for saturated clays can, in general, be given as

Eq. 4.2

 The parameter β is primarily a function of the plasticity index and

overconsolidation ratio (OCR).
 Table 4.1 provides a general range for b based on that proposed by Duncan and
Buchignani (1976).
 In any case, proper judgment should be used in selecting the magnitude of β.

Table 4.1

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 4. Elastic Settlement in Granular Soil:
Settlement based on Theory of Elasticity
 The elastic settlement of a shallow foundation can be estimated by using the
theory of elasticity.
 From Hooke’s law, as applied to Figure 4.4, we obtain,

Eq. 4.3

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  Theoretically, if the foundation is perfectly flexible
(see Figure 4.5 and Bowles, 1987), the settlement
may be expressed as,

Eq. 4.4

Figure 4.4 Elastic settlement of shallow

foundation.

Eq. 4.5

Eq. 4.6 Eq. 4.7

Eq. 4.8 Eq. 4.9

 Figure 4.5 Elastic settlement of flexible and rigid foundations.

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 Eq. 4.10
Eq. 4.11

 To calculate settlement at the center  To calculate settlement at a corner of

of the foundation, we use, the foundation, we use,

 The variations of F1 and F2 [see Eq. (4.6) and (4.7)] with m’ and n’ are given in Tables
4.2 and 4.3.
 Also, the variation of If with Df /B (for μs = 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) is given in Table 4.4.
 These values are also given in more detailed form by Bowles (1987).
 The elastic settlement of a rigid foundation can be estimated as,

Eq. 4.12

 Due to the nonhomogeneous nature of soil deposits, the magnitude of Es

may vary with depth.
 For that reason, Bowles (1987) recommended using a weighted average of
Es in Eq. (4.4), or

Eq. 4.13

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 Table 4.2

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 Table 4.2

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 Table 4.3

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 Table 4.3

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 Table 4.4

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 Example 4.1: Elastic Settlement of Shallow
Foundation on Saturated Clay (μs = 0.5)

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 Solution

From Eq. 4.1,

Based on the parameters and dimensions given, calculate,

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Determine β from Table 4.1,

Table 4.1

Therefore,

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Determine A1 and A2 from Figure 4.3,

A1 = 0.9 and A2 = 0.92, therefore Se,

 Example 4.2: Elastic Settlement in Granular Soil:
Settlement based on Theory of Elasticity

A rigid shallow foundation measuring 1 m x 2 m is shown in Figure Q4.2.

Calculate the elastic settlement at the center of the foundation.

To calculate settlement at the center of the

foundation, we use,

Figure Q4.2 Settlement below a center of a PowerPoint® Slides by

foundation.
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 Solution

From Eq. 4.13,

For the center of the foundation,

From Table 4.2 and 4.3,

F1 = 0.641 and F2 = 0.031.

Table 4.4
Therefore, from Eq. 4.5, the shape factors Is,

Again, Df/B = 1/1 = 1,

B/L = 0.5, and μs = 0.3.

From Table 4.4, If = 0.71.

Therefore, from Eq. 4.4, elastic settlement of a elastic foundation Se(flexible),

And the elastic settlement of a rigid foundation, Se(rigid) can be estimated using Eq. 4.12,