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Vertical stress under vertical pressure by extended Mindlin's equation

Article · January 2016

DOI: 10.3208/jgssp.CHN-21

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Japanese Geotechnical Society Special Publication The 15th Asian Regional Conference on
Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering

Vertical stress under vertical pressure by extended Mindlin's equation

G. H. Lei i), H. S. Sun ii), Charles W. W. Ng iii) and Abraham C. F. Chiu iv)

i) Professor, Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Embankment Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Geotechnical Research
Institute, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing, 210098, China.
ii) Ph.D Student, Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Embankment Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Geotechnical Research
Institute, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing, 210098, China.
iii) Chair Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear
Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
iv) Professor, Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Embankment Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Geotechnical Research
Institute, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing, 210098, China.

ABSTRACT

Analytical elasticity solutions provide an efficient means of performing a first approximate analysis in foundation
engineering. One of the well-known basic solutions is Mindlin’s solution to the stress and displacement induced by a
point load at an embedment depth in a half-space. This solution is more superior but less widely used than
Boussinesq’s solution for a point load at only the boundary of half-space. To promote the applications of Mindlin’s
solution, its vertical stress equation is integrated to obtain an explicit formula for calculating vertical stresses at any
arbitrary point. The stresses are induced by uniformly and triangularly distributed vertical pressure, which is exerted
over a rectangular area in the interior of a homogeneous, isotropic, elastic half-space. It shows that the vertical stress
decreases as the embedment depth of loaded area increases.

Keywords: stress, elasticity, footings/foundations, embedment depth

1 INTRODUCTION Mindlin (1936)’s vertical stress equation. The solution

Analytical elasticity solutions play an important role
in preliminary predictions and in calibrating any
sophisticated numerical schemes that are ultimately
used for solving more complex practical problems in
geotechnical engineering (Geddes 1966; Ng and Lei
2003; Selvadurai 2007; Lei et al. 2014). Many solutions
have been proposed for stress in the fields of soil and
rock mechanics (Poulos and Davis 1974). Among them,
the solutions for loading over a rectangular area in a
homogeneous, isotropic, elastic half-space are the most
frequently applied ones in foundation engineering
analysis (Skopek 1961; Giroud 1970; Griffiths 1984;
Sharma and Venkatappa Rao 1984; Vitone and
Valsangkar 1986; Li 1991; Rossa and Auvinet 1992;
De Jaeger 1994; Align 2000, 2001; Sun et al. 2013).
These solutions are commonly expressed in the form of
graphs and tables. They are, however, derived only for
the computing points at or below the corners of the
loaded rectangle. The method of superposition has to be
used to calculate other points.
This paper focuses on the derivation of vertical
stress solution for linearly distributed vertical pressure
over a rectangular area embedded in the interior of the
half-space. A solution for calculating the stresses at any
arbitrary point is obtained by double integration of
is expressed in an explicit form for practical
engineering applications, e.g. calculations of vertical
stress under eccentrically loaded buried rectangular
footings.
2 COORDINATE SYSTEM AND NOTATIONS
The rectangular coordinate system for a half-space
is defined in Fig. 1. The origin of the coordinate system
is located on the boundary surface of the half-space. A
vertical point load V is applied at an arbitrary point M(u,
v, w) away from the origin. The stresses at any point
N(x, y, z) due to the point load can be obtained by using
Mindlin (1936)’s stress equations. Nevertheless, it
should be noted that the coordinate system adopted here
is slightly different from that of Mindlin (1936), where
the point load V is applied at a point (u = 0, v = 0, w = c)
under the origin.
For the purpose of presenting the derived stress
solutions in a compact form, the following notations are
assumed the same as those used for deriving the
displacements under linearly distributed loading over a
rectangular area by Sun et al. (2013).
X = x−u (1)
Y = y−v (2)

http://doi.org/10.3208/jgssp.CHN-21 1315
 Z1 = z − w (3) vertical stress solution as follows:
Z2 = z + w (4) Y + R2
σ z = λ1{{−2(1 − ν ) x(TZ 1 + TZ 2 ) + (1 − 2ν ) Z1 ln
Ri = X 2 + Y 2 + Z i2 (i = 1 or 2) (5) Y + R1
XYZ YZ1[ Z12 (Y 2 + Z12 ) + xX ( R12 + Z12 )]
Tα i = arctan 2 i (α = X , Y , or Z i ; i = 1 or 2) (6) −
α Ri R1 ( X 2 + Z12 )(Y 2 + Z12 )
B (3 − 4ν ) zZ 2 − w(5 z − w)
TAB = arctan ( A = X , Y , or Z i ; B = X , Y , or Z i ; i = 1 or 2) −
A Z2
(7)
Y [ Z 22 (Y 2 + Z 22 ) + xX ( R22 + Z 22 )]
η = 8π(1 − ν ) (8) ×
R2 ( X 2 + Z 22 )(Y 2 + Z 22 )
where ν is Poisson’s ratio.
Z 23 2 xX 2 x(3 X 2 − Z 22 )
−2wz YR2 [ +
X3 Z 22 (Y 2 + Z 22 )2 Z 24 (Y 2 + Z 22 )
uX 2 2 X 3 + x( Z 22 − X 2 ) u =u2 v = v2
− 2 2 4
+ ]}u =u1 }v = v1
( X + Z 2 ) R2 R22 ( X 2 + Z 22 ) 2
XYZ1 ( R12 + Z12 )
+λ2 {{−2(1 − ν )(TZ 1 + TZ 2 ) −
( X 2 + Z12 )(Y 2 + Z12 ) R1
(3 − 4ν ) zZ 2 − w(5 z − w) XY ( R22 + Z 22 )
−
Z2 ( X 2 + Z 22 )(Y 2 + Z 22 ) R2
Z 23 2X 2 3 X 2 − Z 22
−2wz YR2 [ +
X3 Z 22 (Y 2 + Z 22 )2 Z 24 (Y 2 + Z 22 )
X 2 ( X 2 + Z 22 ) − R22 ( Z 22 − X 2 ) u =u2 v = v2
− ]}u =u1 }v = v1
Fig. 1. The coordinate system.
R24 ( X 2 + Z 22 ) 2
(11)
3 DERIVATION PROCEDURES where
p2 − p1
In keeping with the conventional sign convention λ1 = − (12)
used in soil mechanics, compressive stresses are taken η (u2 − u1 )
as positive. Following the adopted sign convention, the u p −u p
λ2 = − 2 1 1 2 (13)
coordinate system in Fig. 1 and the assumed notations, η (u2 − u1 )
Mindlin (1936)’s original equation for obtaining the
vertical stress at any point N(x, y, z) can be readily y
rewritten as follows by a shift of origin and sign.
O x
−V (1 − 2ν ) Z1 (1 − 2ν ) Z1 3Z13
σz = [− + − 5 v2
η R13 R23 R1 dv
(9) z p(u,v) p2
3(3 − 4ν ) zZ 22 − 3wZ 2 (5 z − w) 30 wzZ 23 p1
− − ]
R25 R27 v
w c d

The vertical stress due to vertical pressure over a v1

rectangle (u = u1 to u2, v = v1 to v2, w = constant; Fig. 2) p1 p2
can be derived by double integration of Eq. (9) with a b
respect to u and v. In doing so, the point load on a
rectangular element at the point (u, v, w) can be readily u1
derived as follows: u du
u2
1
V= [(u2 p1 − u1 p2 ) + ( p2 − p1 )u ]dudv (10)
(u2 − u1 ) Fig. 2. Vertical pressures over a rectangular area.

where p1 and p2 are the pressures at the points (u1, v = Double-precision arithmetic is used to calculate the
v1 to v2, w) and (u2, v = v1 to v2, w), respectively. stresses. It should be noted that for computing stresses
Substituting this point load into Eq. (9) and taking at the boundary including at corners of the rectangular
double integration with respect to v and w gives the area, the proposed stress solution is singular. This is

1316
because some denominator terms in Eq. (11) are Vertical stresses at points below the corner of a
singular when the values of X, Y, Z1 and R1 defined in surface rectangular area due to trapezoidal vertical
Eqs. (1)-(3) and (5) become zero. pressure has been given by Algin (2000, 2001). The
calculated results from this study (by applying w = 0 m)
4 VERIFICATION are compared with the results from Algin (2000), as
shown in Fig. 5. Again, it can be seen that they are in
Derivation of Eq. (11) is complicated. Therefore, the
good agreement.
accuracy of this equation should be verified by the
available stress solutions for some special loading cases. σz / p 2
For comparison purpose, Poisson’s ratio ν is assumed 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30
to be 0.5. 0
Vertical stresses at points below the corner of a 10
surface rectangular area subjected to uniform vertical 20 Algin (2000)
pressure have been given by Giroud (1970). Figure 3
30
shows the results calculated by Giroud (1970) and by This study
40
this study using Eq. (11) and applying p1 = p2 = p and w

z (m)
50
= 0 m. It can be seen that good agreement is obtained.
60 b = l = 10 m
σz / p 70 p 2 /p 1 = 2
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 80
0 90
100

5 bb//ll ==1 (Giroud,1970)

1 (Giroud, 1970) Fig. 5. A comparison between the solution proposed in this study
bb//ll ==10 (Giroud,1970)
10 (Giroud, 1970) and that proposed by Algin (2000).
bb//ll ==1 (This
1 (This study)
study)
bb//ll ==10
10 (This
(Thisstudy)
z /l

10 l study) 5 FFECTS OF EMBEDMENT DEPTH AND

b
PRESSURE RATIO ON VERTICAL STRESS
Surface l =10 m
15 To investigate the vertical stress distribution below
Vertical pressure p
N the corners of an embedded horizontal rectangular area
z subjected to trapezoidal pressure, parametric study is
20 conducted using different embedded depths w = 0, 5, 10
Fig. 3. A comparison between the solution proposed in this study m and different pressure ratios of p2/p1 = 1, 5, 10. The
and that proposed by Giroud (1970). length and width of the loaded area are assumed to be l
= b = 10 m. Poisson’s ratio ν is assumed to be 0.5.
Vertical stresses at points below the corner of an Figure 6(a) shows the distributions of normalized
embedded horizontal rectangular area subjected to vertical stresses (by p1) along depth (z − w) below the
uniform pressure have been given by Skopek (1961). corners at which the minimum pressure p1 is applied. It
Figure 4 shows the results calculated by Skopek (1961) can be seen that under uniform pressure (p2/p1 = 1), the
and by this study using Eq. (11) and applying p1 = p2 = maximum vertical stress appears at the embedment
p. It can be observed that good agreement is also depth z = w. However, under non-uniform pressure, the
obtained. maximum vertical stress appears at a certain depth
below the embedment depth. This is believed to be
σz / p caused by the stress dispersion effect due to nearby
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30
pressures higher than p1. The maximum vertical stress
0
increases as the pressure ratio increases. This implies
10
that the higher the pressure ratio, the more significant
20 the stress dispersion effect is, as is expected. It can also
bw/=5 m (Skopek,1961)
l = 1,w=5 (Skopek, 1961)
30 be observed that the maximum vertical stress decreases
bw/=10 m (Skopek,1961)
l = 1,w=10 (Skopek, 1961)
40 bw/=5 m (This
l = 1,w=5 (Thisstudy)
study) as the embedment depth increases. This is believed to
z (m)

50 bw/=10
l = 1,w=10 (This
m (This study)
study) be caused by the boundary effect due to the distance of
60 the loaded area away from the free surface boundary of
70
b =l =10 m
half-space. The applied load is partially shared by the
80 stresses in the medium included between the
90 embedment depth and the free surface. The deeper the
100 embedment depth, the higher the load sharing of that
Fig. 4. A comparison between the solution proposed in this study
medium is.
and that proposed by Skopek (1961). Figure 6(b) shows the distributions of normalized

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vertical stresses (by p2) along depth (z − w) below the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
corners at which the maximum pressure p2 is applied. It
This study was sponsored by the National Natural
can be seen that the maximum vertical stresses for
Science Foundation of China (51278171), the 111
different pressure ratios appear at the embedment depth.
Project (B13024), the Fundamental Research Funds for
By comparing Fig. 6(b) with Fig. 6(a), it can be found
the Central Universities of China (2014B04914 and
that the influence of pressure ratio on the vertical stress
2010B28114), and the Research Grants Council of the
under the maximum pressure is less significant than
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (617608).
that under the minimum pressure. However, the
maximum vertical stress decreases as the embedment
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0 2) Algin, H. M. (2001): Vertical stress formula for pressure over
rectangular areas, Géotechnique, 51(8), 719-722.
10 3) De Jaeger, J. (1994): Discussion of stresses induced by
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p 2 /p 1=1,
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p 2 /p=5,w=5
area, Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations
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stress below the corners at which the minimum pressure extended Mindlin’s equations, Computers and Geotechnics,
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