Complete Analytical Solution for Linear Soil Pressure Distribution under Rigid Rectangular Spread Footings

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to establish a complete analytical solution concerning the linear pressure distribution under rigid rectangular spread footings. An eccentricity diagram is developed to map the unique footing deformations and compression zones in each one of five distinct regions. For each region, the linear soil pressure, neutral axis position, and pressure values at the four corners are expressed in closed forms. The accuracy and consistency of the explicit expressions are verified by presenting several special boundary cases, whereas the physical interpretation is brought out by analyzing the eccentricity diagram. A generic nomogram providing the maximum soil pressure is also formed to promote efficient structural footing design. The developed analytical formulas for responses and resultants enable algorithmic implications without iterations and offer high computational efficiency. Proper examples, generated via developed computer software, exhibit how the theoretical content of this article is applied in practice. The software enables three-dimensional (3D) viewing of the deformed and undeformed physical and mathematical model of the structure, allowing detailed visual inspection of the results.