LINTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

GEO-MECHANICS (CE2204)
Soil Stress and Pore Water Pressure

Lecture Week No 2

Mdm Nur Syazwani Noor Rodi

TOTAL VERTICAL STRESS

The total vertical stress (v) acting at a point below the ground surface is due to the weight of everything lying above i.e. soil, water, and surface loading Total vertical stresses are calculated from the unit weight of the soil Any change in total vertical stress (v) may also result in a change in the horizontal total stress ( h) at the same point The relationships between vertical and horizontal stress are complex (v h)

TOTAL VERTICAL STRESS in homogeneous soil

Ground Level

v Depth, z
SOIL ELEMENT

v z

TOTAL VERTICAL STRESS below a river or lake

Water Level

zw

Ground Level

v z w z w

TOTAL VERTICAL STRESS in multi-layered soil

Ground Level

z1 z2 z3

Soil1

Soil2

Soil3

v 1 z1 2 z 2 3 z3

TOTAL VERTICAL STRESS with a surface surcharge load

Very wide surcharge, q (kN/m2)
Ground Level

v z q

PORE WATER PRESSURE

The water in the pores of a soil is called pore water. The pressure within this porewater is called pore water pressure (u) The magnitude of pore water pressure depends on: a) the depth below the water table b) the conditions of seepage flow

PORE WATER PRESSURE under hydrostatic conditions (no water flow)

Ground Level Water Table

u wZ

EFFECTIVE STRESS CONCEPT (Terzaghi, 1923)

u
'
where

= ' =
u

Total Vertical Stress Effective Stress

= Pore Water Pressure

VERTICAL EFFECTIVE STRESSES

Water Table

Ground Level

u ' z w z
'

EXAMPLE 1
Plot the variation of total and effective vertical stresses, and pore water pressure with depth for the soil profile shown below
Ground Level Water Table 4m 2m GRAVELY SAND

sat 18 .5 kN/m3

B 17 .8 kN/m3
sat 19 .5 kN/m3

4m

SAND

5m

SAND GRAVEL

sat 19 .0 kN/m3

EXAMPLE 2
The soil layers on a site consists of: 0 4 m Gravel-sand (sat= 2038 kg/m3; B 1957 kg/m3) 4 9 m Clay (sat= 1835 kg/m3) Draw an effective stress and total stress profile between 0 9m, when the water table is 1m above the top of the clay

EXAMPLE 3
On a certain site a surface layer of silty sand is 4m thick and overlies a layer of peaty clay 7m thick, which in turn is underlain by impermeable rock. Draw effective and total stress profiles for the following condition: a) Water table at the surface b) Water table at a depth of 5m, with the silty sand above the water table saturated with capillary water

Unit weight: Silty Sand = 18.5 kN/m3 Clay = 17.7 kN/m3

EXAMPLE 4
A confined aquifer comprises a 5m thick of sand overlain by a 4m thick layer of clay and underlain by impermeable rock. The unit weight of the sand and clay respectively are 19.6 kN/m3 and 18.4 kN/m3. Determine effective overburden stress at the top and bottom of the sand layer, when the levels of the water in a standpipe driven through the clay into the sand layer are: a) at ground surface b) 1.5m below the ground surface c) 3.0m below the ground surface d) 1.5m above the ground surface e) 3.0m above the ground surface and hence comment on the effect of changing water table

EXAMPLE 5
A sediment settling lagoon has a depth of water of 4m above the clay base. The clay layer is 3m thick and this overlies 4m of a medium sand, which in turn overlies impermeable rock. Calculate the effective stresses at the top of the clay and at the top and bottom of the second layer under the following condition: a) Initially, before any sediment is deposited b) After a 3m layer of sediment of silty fine sand has been deposited c) After draining the lagoon down to base level, with same thickness (3m) of sediment still in place Unit weight: Sand = 20 kN/m3; Clay = 18 kN/m3; Sediment = 16 kN/m3

EXAMPLE 6
Plot the variation of total and effective vertical stresses, and pore water pressure with depth for the soil profile shown below for the following condition: a)initially before construction b)immediately after construction c)few days after construction d)many years after construction.
Surface surcharge, q (100 kN/m2) Ground Level Water Table 4m 2m CLAY SAND

sat 18 .5 kN/m3

B 17 .8 kN/m3
sat 19 .5 kN/m3

SHORT TERM & LONG TERM STRESSES

a) Initially before construction
Stress distribution profile at its original stage

b) Immediately after construction

The immediately effect after the construction is an increasing in the pore water pressure loading is too rapid and not allow any significant out flow of pore water and the soils are in an UNDRAINED stage

c) Few days after construction

Few days after the construction, the out flow of pore water takes place at the Sand layer due to its high permeability and the sand is in DRAINED stage. i.e. excess PWP is dissipated at the Sand layer whereas Clay Layer is in contrast

d) Many years after construction

After many years, excess PWP will dissipated in clay layer despite its