CHAPTER 4

FOUNDATION AND STRESS DISTRIBUTION IN SOIL

 Content
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Function of Foundation
4.3 General Factors that Influence the Design & Size of Foundation
4.4 Types of Foundation
4.5 Vertical Pressure below a Concentrated Load
4.6 Vertical Pressure below a Rectangular Area
4.7 Method based on Elastic Theory
4.7.1 Circular Area
4.7.2 Uniform Load on a Rectangular Area
4.7.3 Uniform Load on a Strip Area
 4.1 Introduction

• Foundations (sub structure) is a lower portion of building, usually

located below ground level, which transmits the load of the super
structure to the sub soil.

• A foundation is a part of the structure which is in direct contact with

the ground to which the loads are transmitted.

• The soil which is located immediately below the base of the

foundation is called the sub soil or foundation soil.

• The lowermost portion of the foundation which is in direct contact

with the sub soil is called the footing

Source: Shanik, A Asst. Prof. MES School of Architecture

➢Foundation is the most important part of a building,
thus need special attention on its stability.

➢It is also the lowest part of a building structure and

placed on the soil that sustain it.

➢Contains building underground structure (sub-

structure) including footing and piling system.

➢The construction of this part of a building need specific

design to enable it to sustain load.

Source: Shanik, A Asst. Prof. MES School of Architecture

 4.2 Function of Foundation
➢Distribute building load to a larger contact area of an
underneath soil

➢Prevent buiding from sudden settlement due to

movement and erosion.

➢Provide flat surface for the construction of a building.

➢Increase the stability of a building by lowering its

center of gravity; as the reason to construct such as
the construction of underground car park in a
shopping complexes.
Source: Shanik, A Asst. Prof. MES School of Architecture
 4.3 General Factors that Influence the Design & Size of Foundation

➢Soil physical condition – bearing capacity

➢Building load including sustained life load, dead load and wind
load.

➢Economic and safety factor – important in optimizing cost

between types of foundation used in the construction
4.4 Types of Foundations

Source: Shanik, A Asst. Prof. MES School of Architecture

 - Used extensively;
economic
- Suitable for : soil with
medium bearing capacity
soil
- to sustain a single column
or a wall for light
structure.

Source: Shanik, A Asst. Prof. MES School of Architecture

 To support two or more
columns where one of
them is located near the
boundary line or next to
the existing building.

Source: Shanik, A Asst. Prof. MES School of Architecture

Source: Shanik, A Asst. Prof. MES School of Architecture
 -construction on low bearing
capacity soil

- excavation of low bearing

capacity soil, replaced by
better soil and construct of
wide reinforced concrete
shallow footing namely raft
foundation

- Also used on a very high

bearing capacity soil where
the use of piling is not
advisable (for example in cut
area).

Source: Shanik, A Asst. Prof. MES School of Architecture

Source: Shanik, A Asst. Prof. MES School of Architecture
Source: Shanik, A Asst. Prof. MES School of Architecture
Source: Shanik, A Asst. Prof. MES School of Architecture
Source: Shanik, A Asst. Prof. MES School of Architecture
4.5 Vertical Pressure below a Concentrated Load

• The pressure magnitude generally

increasing with depth, this pressure is
the result of both overburden pressure
and newly introduced load on the
point

• It can be seen that the stress

distribution is maximum at centre and
reducing moving away from the centre
as well as with depth

General distribution of stress in soil

• TWO method to calculate stress increase due to point load are:

1) Westergaard
2) Bousinesq equation
Where;
• p = Vertical Stress at depth z (m)
• P = concentrated load (kN)
• µ = Poisson’s ratio
• z = depth (m)
• r = horizontal distance from point of application of P to point at which P is desired.
IB and Iw ( refer graph below)
4.6 Vertical Pressure below a Loaded Rectangular Area
(2:1- Approximate Method)

TRY!
4.7 Method based on elastic theory
4.7.1 circular area

p = Iw
Where;
I – influence coefficient (Table 4.1 or Figure 4.4)
w – uniform load

* For circular footing only

 Example 4.2

A circular loaded area of 100 kN/m2 is exerted on a ground surface. The radius of the circle
is 3 meter. Determine the vertical stress increase at the following point:
i. At 6 m below the center of the circle.
ii. At 6 m below the circle with 1.5 m measured horizontally from the center (where, r
=1.5 m, z = 6m).
iii. At 6 m under the edge of the circle.
iv. At 6 m under the surface and 5.5 m measured horizontally from the center (where, r
=5.5 m, z = 6m).

*The value of Iw can easily be referred to from Figure 4.4 without having to do any
interpolation like Table 4.1
Solution:
i. a = 3 m (radius of circle) , r = 0, z = 6m iii. a = 3 m (radius of circle), r = 3m, z = 6 m
r/a=0; r/a=3/3=1;
z/a=2; z/a=2;
I=0.284; I=0.194,
q=Iw=0.284x100=28.4kN/m2
q=19.4kN/m2

ii. a = 3 m (radius of circle), r = 1.5 m, z = 6 miv. a = 3 m (radius of circle), r = 5.5m, z =

r/a=1.5/3=0.5; 6m
z/a=2; r/a=5.5/3=1.83;
I=0.258, z/a=2;
q=25.8kN/m2 I=0.0914,
q=9.14 kN/m2
4.7.2 Uniform Load on a Rectangular Area

•Vertical stress, q = Iw

• Calculate m=A/z and n=B/z

to find the I value in Table 4.2 or Figure 4.6

where :
A – width of the loaded area
B – length of the loaded area
Term definition for vertical
z – depth of point to be determined its stress value from stress increase at point C
one of the rectangular corner under a corner of a
rectangular
Table 4.2 Influence coefficient for points under uniformly loaded circular area (Newmark, 1935)
Figure 4.6 Chart for use in determining vertical stresses below corners of loaded rectangular surface areas on
elastic, isotropic material, (Newmark, 1942
Example 4.3

Given a footing with dimension of

1.5m x 1.5m located 1m below the
ground surface as shown in
Figure 4.7 sustain a load of 650
kN (including all component
weights). Find the vertical stress
increase at 5 m under the footing.
Solution
m=A/z, n=B/z
A= 0.75m and z = 5m B= 0.75m and z = 5m
m= 0.75/5 = 0.15 n= 0.75/5 = 0.15

• From Table 4.2, the influence coefficient = 0.0103 for the area of 0.75m
x 0.75m.
• Since the footing of 1.5m x 1.5m has 4 equal size of 0.75m x 0.75m area
which share the point A, so
• q = (4)(0.0103) (stress increase at point A, ΔQ)

• Therefore, q = (4)(0.0103)( 271.6 kN/m2) = 11.2 kN/m2

 4.7.3 Uniform Load on a Strip Area

• Vertical pressure below a uniform load on a strip area can be determined by

utilizing Figure 4.8. Where :

B - strip width
r - radial horizontal distance from centerline
z – depth
Figure 4.8 Influence
coefficient for uniformly
loaded strip area
 Example 4.4

Given, soil with unit weight of 17.92

kN/m3, loaded on the surface by a
footing of 1m wide. The load of the wall
footing is 295 kN/m of wall length.
Required:
1. The vertical stress increase due to
wall footing at a point 3 m below the
edge of strip, Figure 4.9.
2. The total vertical load at the same
location.
Solution
1. From Figure 4.9 :
r/B = 0.5m/1m = 0.5
z/B = 3m/1m = 3.0
Influence coefficient = 0.20
p = (0.20)(295 kN/m) = 59 kN/m of wall length

2. Total vertical load = overburden pressure, po + vertical stress increment, p

po = γz = (17.92 kN/m3)(3m)=53.8 kN/m2 or 53.8 kN/m of wall length

Po = pressure or stress
Therefore
imposed on a layer of soil by
Total vertical load = 53.8 kN/m + 59.0 kN/m the weight of overlying
= 112.8 kN/m material
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