Ahmed Abu El-Ela, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Zagazig University (ZU), Egypt

Assistant Professor, University of Missouri (MU), USA
Outstanding Professor Award (three times in a row, MU (USA))
Honored Professor in the most prestigious MU awards (two times)
Zagazig University, 11/21/2018
Types of Loads
Strip Footings & Spread Footings
 Stress Bulbs
• Induced stress dissipates with depth and with distance from center
• Depth of induced stress ~2B
 σ=
vA γ z A + 0.4q
σ=
vB γ z B + 0.5q
σvB > σvA
σ= γ zC + 0.3q

zA = zB
γ vC

zc
A B If foundation is
flexible, it will settle
C more under the
centerline because
the induced stress is
greater
Methods of Analysis

1) Elastic Theory (Boussinesq’s Method, Newmark)

2) Numerical Solutions (Finite Element Methods, FEM)

3) Chart Solutions

4) Approximate Solutions (e.g., trapezoidal 2:1 rule)

 Boussinesq’s Method (1885)

Assumptions:

(a) Soil is semi-infinite in extent.

(b) Soil is isotropic.
(c) Soil is homogeneous.
(d) Soil is elastic.
1- Point Load

5⁄2
𝑄𝑄 3 1
∆𝜎𝜎𝑍𝑍 = 𝐼𝐼 2 𝐼𝐼 =
𝑍𝑍 2𝜋𝜋 𝑟𝑟 2
1+
𝑍𝑍
2- Line Load

𝟐𝟐
𝑸𝑸 𝑰𝑰 = 𝟐𝟐
𝜟𝜟𝝈𝝈𝒁𝒁 = 𝑰𝑰 𝒙𝒙 𝟐𝟐
𝒁𝒁 𝝅𝝅 + 𝟏𝟏
𝒁𝒁
3- Strip Load
4- Embankment
5- Uniformly Loaded Area
5- Uniformly Loaded Area
6- Under the corner of loaded rectangular Area
 6- Under the corner of loaded rectangular Area
For point P, not located at the corner of the loaded
area ABCD the following cases are considered
Case a: Point is Inside the Rectangle

E
A B
P
H F

C
G D

σz = σz (AEPH) + σz(EBFP) + σz(FDGP) + σz(GCHP)

6- Under the corner of loaded rectangular Area

Case b: Point is outside along one edge

A B
P

C
D E

σz = σz (APEC) - σz(BPED)
6- Under the corner of loaded rectangular Area
 Uniformly Distributed Load
Approximate Methods – Trapezoidal Rule (aka 1:2 Method)

• The approximate method gives average stress at

the required depth due to load uniformly
distributed over an area.

• The method assumes that the load is distributed

in the soil at surfaces sloping 1 horizontal: 2
vertical

𝐿𝐿 × 𝐵𝐵
𝛥𝛥𝛥𝛥 = 𝑞𝑞
𝐿𝐿 + 𝑍𝑍𝑓𝑓 × 𝐵𝐵 + 𝑍𝑍𝑓𝑓
 Newmark’s Chart
• Calculate the vertical stress due to loaded area of any shape
• Under a point located anywhere inside or outside the loaded
area.
• The Newmark chart consists of a number of circles and radiating
lines.
• A distance AB is given on the chart, together with a
corresponding influence value (0.005).
Procedure
a) Draw the shape of the loaded area on a
drawing paper to scale AB = Z, and locate point
P under which the stress is to be calculated.
b) Placed point P in the drawing paper above the
center of the circle of the Newmark chart, and
count the number of divisions inside the loaded
area (N).
• Contact stress is defined as the vertical stress acting at the
surface of contact between the base of a foundation and the
underlying soil mass.

• To simplify design, the computation of the bending

moments, etc.. in the footing are commonly based on the
assumption that the contact stress is uniform.

• The actual contact stress, however, depends upon the

rigidity of the footing and the elastic properties of the
subgrade (soil).