STRESS AND DISPLACEMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF A TWO-LAYER RIGID BASE SOIL SYSTEM: INFLUENCE DIAGRAMS AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

THE COMPLETE PROBLEM OF STRESSES AND DISPLACEMENTS IN LAYER NO. 1 OF A TWO-LAYER RIGID BASE SOIL SYSTEM IS PRESENTED. THIS PROBLEM REPRESENTS A CLOSER APPROXIMATION TO MANY ACTUAL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED IN FOUNDATION PRACTICE. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF STRESSES THROUGHOUT LAYER NO. 1 ARE ILLUSTRATED AND DISCUSSED WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE FAVORABLE AND UNFAVORABLE ASPECTS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS IN STRESS INVESTIGATIONS. THE REALM OF VALIDITY OF THIS PROBLEM AND ITS LIMITATIONS IN FOUNDATION PRACTICE ARE CONSIDERED. A COMPLETE SERIES OF INFLUENCE DIAGRAMS FOR STRESSES AND DISPLACEMENTS ARE PRESENTED. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS IN INVESTIGATIONS OF STRESSES IMPOSED BY THE FOUNDATION LOADS OF STRUCTURES ARE MADE TO ILLUSTRATE THE PRACTICAL USE AND IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROBLEM IN SOIL MECHANICS AND FOUNDATION ENGINEERING. A MAJOR PROBLEM IN STRESS INVESTIGATIONS IS TO RAISE THE CONCEPTIONS AND THE STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE IN PRACTICES REGARDING ADEQUACY AND RELIABILITY. THIS IS A QUESTION ESSENTIALLY OF ATTITUDES AND CONCEPTIONS, KNOWLEDGE AND TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE AND GOOD JUDGMENT, RATHER THAN MERELY OF ACQUIRING FACILITY IN THE USE OF STRESS INFLUENCE DIAGRAMS. /AUTHOR/