Stress Diffusion Experiment in Sand
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VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 1
Abstract
Plate bearing load tests in a large sand box with boundary lateral stress control showed, by measurements using buried stress cells, that the greater the initial horizontal stress the more rapidly the vertical loading from the plate diffuses or spreads horizontally with depth. The measurements also showed that with horizontal stress constant, an increasing plate load progressively focuses a greater percent of the load into the sand under and along the axis of the plate. These diffusion and focusing results have the same cause and can become linked. The paper compares the experiment results with two elastic half-space theories: simple Boussinesq, nonhomogeneous Boussinesq, and one particulate-probabilistic theory described in Harr. Only Harr predicted the first results qualitatively. None predict the second results. A preliminary study with the PLAXIS finite element program shows promise for predicting both results. The paper also discusses practical applications and notes two principles of load transmission in soils demonstrated in the experiment.
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Acknowledgments
The Civil Engineering Dept. of the University of Florida, Paul Thompson, Chairman, generously provided space and technician support for the -box and its associated equipment. Professor D. Ellifritt helped with the structural design of the -box. Senior students A. Burke and R. Karkowski, with student assistant help, performed the actual experimental work for their Senior Honors projects under the direction of Professor John Davidson and the writer. Professor D. Bloomquist assisted the students with various instrumentation problems. The former Schmertmann & Crapps, Inc. provided funds for -box construction and maintenance, for the stress cells, and for the student assistants. Various personnel of Loadtest, Inc., Gainesville, Fla, helped greatly to prepare the text, tables, and figures for this paper. Thai Nguyen of the University of Florida CE Dept. performed the “PLAXIS” FE analysis.
References
Dunnicliff, J. (1988). Geotechnical instrumentation for monitoring field performance, Chap. 10, Wiley, New York.
Gerrard, C. M., and Morgan, J. R. (1972). “Initial loading of a sand layer under a circular pressure membrane.” Geotechnique, 22(4), 635–661.
Handy, R. L. (2001). “Does lateral stress really influence settlement? ” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 127(7), 623–626.
Harr, M. E. (1977). Mechanics of a particulate media—A probabilistic approach, Chaps. 7 and 8, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Holden, J. C. (1967). “Stresses and strains in a sand mass subjected to a uniform circular load.” PhD dissertation, Univ. of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Schmertmann, J. H. (1972). “Effects of in-situ lateral stress on friction-cone penetrometer data in sands.” Proc., Fugro Sondeer Symp., Holland, The Netherlands, 37–39.
Schmertmann, J. H. (1985). “Measure and use the in situ lateral stress.” The practice of foundation engineering, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Northwestern Univ., Evanston, Ill., 189–213.
Weiler, W. A., Jr., and Kulhawy, F. H. (1982). “Factors affecting stress cell measurements in soil.” J. Geotech. Eng. Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., 108(12), 1529–1548.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 1 • January 2005
Pages: 1 - 10
Copyright
© 2004 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 11, 2002
Accepted: Jan 12, 2004
Published online: Jan 1, 2005
Published in print: Jan 2005
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