MEN-GEE-321 :
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
Dyson MOSES (Ph.D.)
[email protected] or [email protected]
+265881833015
EFFECTIVE STRESS AND
PORE WATER PRESSURE
2
INTRODUCTION
※Soil can be visualised as a skeleton of solid particles
enclosing continuous voids which contain water and or
air
※The volume of the soil skeleton as a whole can change
▪Re-arrangement of the soil particles
▪Rolling and sliding
※This culminates in corresponding change in the forces
acting between particles 3
INTRODUCTION
※Thus, in a fully saturated soil;
▪ Water is considered incompressible
▪ A reduction in volume is possible only if some of the water
can escape from the voids
※In a dry or partially saturated soil;
▪ A reduction in volume is always possible due to the
compression of air in the voids
▪ Provided, the soil is not already in its densest possible
state 4
INTRODUCTION
※In soil mass, shear stresses can be resisted only by the
skeleton of solid particles
▪Reaction forces developed at the inter-particle contacts
※Normal stresses may similarly be resisted by the soil
skeleton through an increase in the inter-particle forces
5
INTRODUCTION
※If the soil is fully saturated, the filling in the voids can
also withstand normal stress by an increase in pore
water pressure
※Hence, the strength and compressibility of the soil
depends on the stresses within the soil-the effective
stress 6
PRINCIPLE OF EFFECTIVE STRESS
▪ Consider a saturated soil
where;
u= pore water pressure
σn= equivalent continuum
normal stress due to inter-
granular forces
▪ Also, consider a unit area of a
plane transecting the soil mass
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PRINCIPLE OF EFFECTIVE STRESS
σnc= normal stress due to
intergranular forces
σnu= normal stress due to water
pressure on surface of particle,
excluding areas in contact with
other particles
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PRINCIPLE OF EFFECTIVE STRESS
▪ The area over which a particle
makes contact with neighbouring
particles is known to be a small
proportion (<1%) of total surface
area
▪ Very nearly, therefore, the pore
water pressure acts over the
entire surface of the particle
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PRINCIPLE OF EFFECTIVE STRESS
This scenario gives a hydrostatic stress
field in the particle, hence;
σnu= u inside the soil particle
Therefore
𝝈′𝒏 = 𝝈𝒏 − 𝒖
This applies to normal stresses in all
directions at any point within the soil
▪ In a dry soil, there is no pore water
pressure and the total stress is the same
as effective stress
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INTERPRETATION OF EFFECTIVE STRESS
➢Plane xx in a fully saturated soil,
passing through points of interparticle
contact only
➢Normal force P applied over an area A
• Resisted by partly interparticle forces
• Pressure in the pore water
➢The inter-particle forces are very random
in both magnitude and direction
throughout the soil mass
• Normal and tangential components
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INTERPRETATION OF EFFECTIVE STRESS
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EFFECTIVE VERTICAL STRESS DUE TO SELF
WEIGHT OF SOIL
Saturated condition
▪ Consider a soil mass having a horizontal
surface and with the water table at
surface level
▪ The total vertical stress, σv at depth z is
equal to the weight of all materials
(solids + water) per unit area above that
depth i.e;
𝜎𝑣 = 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 𝑧
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EFFECTIVE VERTICAL STRESS DUE TO SELF
WEIGHT OF SOIL
▪ The pore water pressure at any depth
will be hydrostatic since the void space
between the solid particles is continuous,
thus, at depth z;
𝑢 = 𝛾𝑤 𝑧
Thus, the effective vertical stress at depth
z in this case is;
𝜎𝑣′ = 𝜎𝑣 − 𝑢
𝜎𝑣′ = 𝛾𝑠𝑎𝑡 − 𝛾𝑤 𝑧
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WORKED EXAMPLE
A layer of saturated clay 4m thick is overlain
by sand 5m deep the water table being 3m
below the surface, as shown. The saturated
unit weights of the clay and sand are
19kN/m3 and 20kN/m3, respectively; above the
water table the (dry) unit weight of the sand is
17kN/m3. Plot/sketch the values of total vertical
stress and effective vertical stress against
depth. If sand to a height of 1 m above the
water table is saturated with capillary water,
how are the above stresses affected?
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WORKED EXAMPLE
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VERTICAL NORMAL STRESS WITH SURCHARGE
LOADING
With surcharge loading
The following parameters are required;
▪ Total stress
▪ Pore water Pressure
➢In a dry soil mass having a unit weight of
Ƴ, the normal vertical stress at a depth of
d is Ƴd.
➢If there is a uniform surcharge q placed at
the ground level, this stress becomes;
𝝈𝒗 = 𝜸𝒅 + 𝒒
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VERTICAL NORMAL STRESS WITH SURCHARGE
LOADING
If we consider the equilibrium of a column of
soil of cross-sectional area A, it is found that;
𝐴𝜎𝑣 = 𝐴𝑞 + 𝐴𝛾1 𝑑1 + 𝐴𝛾2 𝑑2 + 𝐴𝛾3 𝑧 − 𝑑1 − 𝑑2
𝜎𝑣 = 𝑞 + 𝛾1 𝑑1 + 𝛾2 𝑑2 + 𝛾3 𝑧 − 𝑑1 − 𝑑2
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WORKED EXAMPLE
A 5-m depth of sand overlies a 6-m thick layer of clay, the
water table being at the surface; the permeability of the clay is
very low. The saturated unit weight of the sand is 19kN/m3
and that of the clay is 20kN/m3. A 4-m depth of fill material of
unit weight 20kN/m3 is placed on the surface over an
extensive area. Determine the effective vertical stress at the
centre of the clay layer;
a) immediately after the fill has been placed, assuming
this to take place rapidly, and
b) many years after the fill has been placed stress
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WORKED EXAMPLE
Solution
▪ Since the fill covers an extensive area, it can be assumed that a
condition of zero lateral strains applies
▪ Permeability of clay is very low, dissipation of excess pore water
pressure will be very slow
▪ Also, after, rapid placement of the fill, no appreciable dissipation
will have taken place
▪ The initial stresses and pore water pressure at the centre of the
clay layer are calculated
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WORKED EXAMPLE
𝜎𝑣 = 5 ∗ 19 + 3 ∗ 20 = 155𝑘𝑃𝑎
𝑢𝑠 = 8 ∗ 9.81 = 78𝑘𝑃𝑎
𝜎𝑣′ = 𝜎𝑣 − 𝑢𝑠 = 77𝑘𝑃𝑎
After many years, dissipation of excess pore water
would be essentially complete. The effective stress at
the centre of the clay layer is then;
𝜎𝑣′ = 77 + 4 ∗ 20 = 157𝑘𝑃𝑎
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REFERENCES
▪ Coduto, D.P., (1999), Component: Geotechnical Engineering:
Principles and Practices. Prentice Hall, NJ.
▪ Craig, R. F., (2003), Soil Mechanics, ELBS – Van Nostrand Reinhold
U. K.
▪ G.Smith. Elements of Soil Mechanics
▪ Lambe, T.W., Soil Testing for Engineers. BiTech Publishers, Vancouver
▪ Das, B.M. (2012). Principles of geotechnical engineering (6th ed.).
PWS Publishing.
▪ A.Aysen. (2002). Soil Mechanics; Basic Concepts and Engineering
Applications. A.A Balkema Publishers
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