Use of the Boussinesq solution in geotechnical and road engineering: influence of plasticity

Abstract

The Boussinesq solution for the distribution of stresses in a half-space resulting from surface loads is largely used in geotechnical and road engineering. It is based on the assumption of a linear–elastic homogeneous isotropic half-space for the soil media. Since the soil exhibits nonlinear and irreversible behavior, it is of major interest to study the validity of this solution for elastoplastic soils. This paper includes an investigation of this issue using finite element modeling. The study is conducted by comparing the elastic stress distribution to that obtained using elastoplastic finite element analyses. Results show that the plasticity reduces the attenuation of the vertical stresses in the soil mass, which means that the Boussinesq solution underestimates the stresses in an area which contributes to the soil settlement. To cite this article: M. Sadek, I. Shahrour, C. R. Mecanique 335 (2007).