MODULUS OF SUB GRADE CORRECTION FACTORS

1. As Given in Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engg by Dr. K.R. Arora

Standard Publishers New Delhi p 659 ch 24.2.1 price Rs 175.00(1997 Edition)
Effect of Size
a. Cohesionless soils
KBxB = K0.3x0.3 ((B+0.3)/2B)2
b. Cohesive Soils
KBxB = K0.3x0.3 ((0.3)/B)
Effect of Shape
KLXB = (2/3 )KBxB(1+ B/L)
Effect of Depth
For cohesionless soils, as th confinement pressure increases with the depth, the
modulus of Elasticity increases with depth ,This causes a reduction in the settlement
of the plate. Consequently, the value of K increases with depth.
For Cohesive soils,there is no significant change in the value of K with depth.
2.As given in the Text Book Foundation Design by Wayne C.Teng p 185
chapter 7-8
Effect of Size
The following relationship applies to very long footings (Terzaghi 1955)
K = K1( (B+1)/2B) Granular Soils
K = K1/B Cohesive Soils *(Same as in K.R Arora)
Where
K= Coefficient of Subgrade reaction for a very long footing of width B in ft.

K1 = Coefficient of Subgrade reaction for a very long footing of one foot width.
Effect of Shape
For footings having the same width B under the same uniform load q and
supported on the same soil, the value of K increases with increasing length of the
footing(Terzaghi 1955)
K= (Ks(1+B/L)/L)1.50 *(Same as in K.R Arora)
K= Coefficient of subgrade reaction for rectangular footing having a length L and
width B
Ks = Coefficient of subgrade reaction for square footing
This equation indicates that Ks value for an infinitely long footing is equal to 2/3 that
for a square footing.
Effect of Depth
K= K1(B+1/2B)2(1+2D/B) for Cohesionless soils
K1 = Coefficient of Subgrade reaction for a 1ft x 1ft plates
The nodules of elasticity for a cohesive soil with uniform properties from ground
to a greater depth is practically constant throughout the depth.There fore the
depth has no effect on the value of foundation. *(Same as in K.R Arora)

Factors affecting elasticity[edit]

For isotropic materials, the presence of fractures affects the Young and the shear
modulus perpendicular to the planes of the cracks, which decrease (Young's modulus faster
than the shear modulus) as the fracture density increases,[9] indicating that the presence of
cracks makes bodies brittler. Microscopically, the stress-strain relationship of materials is in
general governed by the Helmholtz free energy, a thermodynamic quantity. Molecules settle
in the configuration which minimizes the free energy, subject to constraints derived from their
structure, and, depending on whether the energy or the entropy term dominates the free
energy, materials can broadly be classified as energy-elastic and entropy-elastic. As such,

microscopic factors affecting the free energy, such as the equilibrium distance between
molecules, can affect the elasticity of materials: for instance, in inorganic materials, as the
equilibrium distance between molecules at 0 K increases, the bulk modulus decreases.
[10]

The effect of temperature on elasticity is difficult to isolate, because there are numerous

factors affecting it. For instance, the bulk modulus of a material is dependent on the form of
its lattice, its behavior under expansion, as well as the vibrations of the molecules, all of
which are dependent on temperature.[11]