2347x
003199
2020-02-24

Question

Why do I obtain such high contact stresses at the foundation edges of my floor slab?


Answer:
Depending on how solid the foundation body is, the soil contact stress distribution under this structural component changes as well. In the case of elastic foundation bodies that are loaded by a uniform surface load, it is generally assumed that the distribution of soil pressure is a mirror image of the load. The plate forms a subsidence basin. However, the more rigid the plate is, the more the soil contact stress rises towards the edge (theoretically limitless).

These theoretically infinite stresses cannot be absorbed by the soil, of course. The soil would probably deflect laterally at the edge and the stress would migrate inwards from the edge.