STRESSES, STRAINS AND ELASTIC DEFORMATIONS OF SOILS

LESSON 5

Definition of Terms:
➢ Stress of intensity of loading is the load per area. The ratio of the force ΔP acting on the plane ΔS
to the area of the plane ΔS when ΔS tends to zero, Δ denotes a small quantity.
➢ Effective Stress (E) is the stress carried by the soil particles.
➢ Total Stress (pг) is the stress carried by the soil particles and the liquids and gases in the voids.
➢ Strain or intensity of deformation is the ratio of the change in a dimension in the original
dimension or the ratio of change in length to the original length.
➢ Stress (Strain) State at a point is a set of stress (strain) vectors corresponding to all planes
passing through that point. Moh's circle is used to graphically represent stress (strain) state for
two-dimensional bodies.
➢ Mean Stress, pv is the average stress on a body or the average of the orthogonal stresses in three
dimensions.
➢ Deviatoric stress, q, is the shear or distortional stress or stress difference on a body.
➢ Pore water pressure, u, the pressure of the water held in the soil pores.
➢ Stress Path is a graphical representation of the locus of stresses on a body.
➢ Isotropic means the same material properties in all directions and also the same loading in all
directions.
➢ Anisotropic means the material properties are different in different directions and also the
loadings are different in different directions.
➢ Elastic materials are materials that return to their original configuration on unloading and obey
Hooke's law.
➢ Normal Stress:
𝑷 𝑷𝒚 𝑷
σx = 𝒚𝒛𝒙 , 𝝈y = 𝒙𝒛 , 𝝈z = 𝒙𝒚𝒛
➢ Normal Strain:
∆𝒙 ∆𝒚 ∆𝒛
Ɛx = 𝒙
, Ɛy = 𝒚
, Ɛz = 𝒛
➢ Volumetric Strain defined as the ratio of change in the volume of a body to its original volume due
to the application of some external deformation-causing forces. It is also known as Dilation.
Ɛp = Ɛx + Ɛy + Ɛz
➢ Shear Stress (often denoted by τ (Greek: tau)) is the component of stress coplanar with a material
cross section. It arises from the shear force, the component of force vector parallel to the
material cross section.
➢ Shear Strain is the measure of shear deformation caused due to shear stress. It indicates the
change in the shape of the object, and it is denoted by the symbol γγ. In simple words, the shear
strain is the change in angle between two-line elements of the object corners due to the shear
stress.
➢ Stress in Soil without Seepage
At point A At point B
Total Stress, pг = γwh4 + q Total Stress, pг = γsat1h5 + γwh1 + q
Neutral Stress, pw = 0 Neutral Stress, pw = γwh5
Effective Stress, pE = pг - pw Effective Stress, pE = pг - pw
 At point C
Total Stress, pг = γsat2h3 + γsat1h2 + γwh1 + q
Neutral Stress, pw = γwh6
Effective Stress, pE = pг - pw
= γb2h3 + γb1h2 + γwh1 + q

➢ Stress in Saturated Soil with Seepage

Upward Seepage
Hydraulic Gradient, i = H
h Downward Seepage
2
h h
h1 = i x z1 = i(H ) Hydraulic Gradient, i = H
2 2
At point A h
h1 = i x z1 = i(H )
pг = γwH1 2
At point A
pw = γwH1
pг = γwH1
pE = pг - pw = 0
pw = γwH1
At point B
pE = pг - pw = 0
pг = γsatz1 + γwH1
At point B
pw = γw(z1 + H1 + h1)
pг = γsatz1 + γwH1
pE = pг - pw = γbz1 - γwh1
pw = γw(z1 + H1 - h1)
At point C
pE = pг - pw = γbz1 + γwh1
pг = γsatH2 + γwH1
At point C
pw = γw(H2 + H1 + h)
pг = γsatH2 + γwH1
pE = pг - pw = γbH2 - γwh
pw = γw(H2 + H1 - h)
pE = pг - pw = γbH2 + γwh
Seepage Force: f = iγw

Effects of Capillary Rise to Soil Stress

Jurin's law, or capillary rise, is the simplest analysis of capillary action —the induced motion of
liquids in small channels —and states that the maximum height of a liquid in a capillary tube is inversely
proportional to the tube's diameter.

The approximate height of capillary size is given by Hazen as

𝑪
𝒉𝟐 =
𝒆𝑫𝟏𝟎
where D10 = effective grain size, e = void ratio, and C = a constant that varies from 10 to 50 mm2

The pore water pressure, pw, at a point in the layer of soil fully saturated by capillary rise is.
𝒑𝒘 = − 𝜸𝒘 𝒉
where: h is the height of the point under consideration measured from the ground water table.

If a partial saturation is caused by capillary action, the pore water pressure, pw, can be
approximated as:
𝒑𝒘 = −𝑺 𝜸𝒘 𝒉
 where S is the degree of saturation at the point under consideration

At total A At point B
Total Stress, pг = γ1h1 + γ2h2 Total Stress, pг = γ1h1 + γ2h
Pore water stress, pw = -S1 γwh3 Pore water stress, pw = 0

At point C
Total Stress, pг = γ1h1 + γ2h + γ3h4
Pore water stress, pw = γww4

Sample Problems:
1. A clay layer 4 m thick rests beneath a deposit of submerged sand 8 m thick. The top of the sand is
located 3 m the surface of a lake. The saturated unit weight of sand is 25 kN/cu m and of the clay
20 kN/cu m. Determine the total vertical pressure (P) at mid-height of the clay layer.

Solution
pг = Σγsath + γwhw
= 20(2) + 25(8) + 9.81 (3) = 269.43 kPa

2. A clay layer 25 feet thick is overlain with 50 feet thick of sand (G = 2.71). The water table is 20 feet
below the sand (ground) surface. The saturated unit weight of clay is 141 pcf. The sand below the
water table has a unit weight of 128 pcf. The sand above the water table has an average moisture
content of 20%. After drying, the sand was found to have a dry unit weight of 92 pcf. Determine the
effective stress at the mid height of the clay layer.

Solution
For the sand above the water table
𝐺
γdry = 1+𝑒 γw

2.71
92 = 1+𝑒 (962.4)
e = 0.838
 𝐺+𝐺𝑀𝐶
γsand = γw
1+𝑒
2.71+2.71(0.2)
γsand = (62.4) = 110.4 pcf
1+0.838

pE = (𝛴γbh)below water table + (𝛴γbh)above water table

= (141 - 62.4)(12.5) + (128 - 62.4)(30) + 110(20) = 5185.5 psf

3. The soil shown has a void ratio of 0.50 and G = 2.70, h 1 = 1.5 m, h2 = 3 m

a) What is the effective unit weight of sand in kN/m3

b) What is the effective stress at point A in kPa
c) What is the critical hydraulic gradient of sand (for quick condition)

Solution:

a) Effective unit weight

G−1
γb = 1+e γw
2.7−1
γb = 1+0.5 (9.81) = 11.12 kN/m3

b) Effective stress at A
ptotal = γsath2 + γwh1
= (20.928)(3) + 9.81(1.5) = 77.50
pw = γwhw
= 9.81(3 + 1.5) = 44.145
peff = ptotal + pw
= 77.50 - 44.145 = 33.36 kPa

c) Critical hydraulic gradient

G−1
ic = 1+e
2.7−1
= 1+0.5 = 1.133