Approximation of the maximum stresses under rectangular footings submitted to biexcentric loads

Abstract

This paper deals with the maximum soil stress under a rectangular footing submitted to a biexcentric load, as is usually the case in footings of bridges, industrial and comercial buildings. The stress distribution is linear but, as tension stresses cannot exist, a zone of the footing remains inactive. The problem has been treated in the literature. Classical solutions, not explicit, are based on not sufficiently explained numerical iterative algorithms. The proposed method reduces the problem to one of an uniaxial excentric load, whose solution is explicit. Its approximation is sufficient: its average error and standard deviation are both less than 0.6 in 100.