Explicit Stresses under Rectangular Footings

Abstract

The calculation of stresses under rectangular footings with biaxial bending is carried out by solving the three‐equations system that sets up the load and soil stresses equilibrium. When a planar soil stresses distribution is assumed, and the area is in full compression, the just mentioned system is linear and its solution immediate. With increasing eccentricities, some corners of the footing can get detached from the soil, the system becoming nonlinear, and difficulties arise in its resolution. In the paper an analytical alternative to the numerical and graphical solutions is presented, which will lead to obtaining explicit solutions for these stresses and neutral axis location.