Mohr’s Circles

GLE/CEE 330 Lecture Notes

Soil Mechanics

William J. Likos, Ph.D.

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison
 Sign Convention
normal stress (s)

(+s) (-s)

(+s) (-s)

shear stress (t) (USC)

(-t)

(+t) (+t)
Element must have both pos. and
neg. shear stress for equilibrium

(-t)
 Principal Stresses & Principal Planes
Principal stress: normal stress on plane where shear stress is zero
s1 = maximum (major) principal stress
s3 = minimum (minor) principal stress s1  s 2  s 3
s2 = intermediate principal stress (3D)
If s1 = s2 = s3, then “isotropic stress” (thus no shear stress)
(s1 - s3 ) = “deviator stress” (results in shear stress)

Principal Plane: plane on which principal stress acts

• Two principal planes are perpendicular
s1 s1

t=0
Not necessarily s3

s3 horizontal
And vertical!
 Derivation of Mohr’s Circle
Consider a 2D element where s1 ≠ s3
s1 Sub-element:
sa

s s3 ds s3
dy
t
ta
a dx

s1

F h = 0 : s 3 dy = s a sin a ds  t a cosa ds

F v = 0 : s 1dx = s a cosa ds  t a sin a ds
where
dx = ds  cosa  Substituting... s 3 ds sin a  = s a sin a ds  t a cosa ds
dy = ds sin a  s 1 ds  cosa  = s a cosa ds  t a sin a ds
 s 3 ds sin a  = s a sin a ds  t a cosa ds sa
s 1 ds  cosa  = s a cosa ds  t a sin a ds
ds s3
Divide by ds… dy

s 3 sin a  = s a sin a   t a cosa  ta

a dx
s 1 cosa  = s a cosa   t a sin a 
Solve simultaneously… s1

1 ta =
1
s 1  s 3 sin 2a  (Note: if s1 = s3, ta = 0)
2
2 s a = s 1  s 3   s 1  s 3  cos2a 
1 1
2 2
Rewrite (2)…

3 sa 
1
s 1  s 3  = 1 s 1  s 3  cos2a 
2 2
Square (1) and (3) and add together…
2 2
  1 
t a = s a  s 1  s 3  =  s 1  s 3 
2 1
 2  2 
 2 2
  1 
t a  s a  s 1  s 3  =  s 1  s 3 
2 1
 2  2  y

Is an equation for a circle in the form

y 2   x  x0  = r 2
2

r x0 x

where
y =t
x =s t

x0 = s 1  s 3 
1
2
r = s 1  s 3 
1
2 ½(s1–s3)
s
s3 ½(s1+s3) s1
 t
Mohr’s Circle: graphical representation of state of stress on
every plane in a 2D element

½(s1–s3)
s
s3 ½(s1+s3) s1

Typically only plot top half (+t) in geotechnical practice....

Typically only have stresses (+s) in compressive regime…
t

t t
s s

s3 s1
s

t t
s s
Mohr’s Circle for effective stress (s’ = s – u)

Circle for effective stress (s’)

Circle for total stress (s)

u s’ or s

Shifts to left by pore pressure (u)

We will see later that this is a less

stable state of stress (soil is closer
to failure conditions)
Finding principal stresses if given stresses on perpendicular planes…
sy
txy = -tyx
tyx
txy sx > sy
sx

s 1 = s x  s y   t xy2   s x  s y 
1 1 
t 2 2 
2

r = t xy2   s x  s y 
1 
2

s 3 = s x  s y   t xy2   s x  s y 
1 1 
2  2 2 
tmax
sx, txy) 2

= t xy2   s x  s y  = s 1  s 3 
1  1
t max
2  2
sy
s3 sx s1 s

sy, tyx) 1/2sx+sy)

Example: Find principal stresses and max shear stress (Analytical Solution)

sy = 3000 psf

txy = -300 psf

sx = 2100 psf

2 2

s 1 = s x  s y   t xy2   s x  s y  = 2100  3000  300 2   2100  3000

1 1  1 1 
2 2  2 2 
s 1 = 3091 psf
2 2

s 3 = s x  s y   t xy2   s x  s y  = 2100  3000  300 2   2100  3000

1 1  1 1 
2 2  2 2 
s 3 = 2009 psf

t max =
1
s 1  s 3  = 1 3091  2009 = 541 psf
2 2
 Graphical Solution:
sy = 3000 psf
draw to scale with x-scale = y-scale
plot known points and construct circle txy = -300 psf
“pick-off” principal stresses and max shear
1750

sx = 2100 psf
1250

750
tmax = radius = 541
(sx , txy )=(2100,300)
250
s3=2009
t (psf)

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

-250 s1=3091

(sy , tyx )=(3000,-300)

-750

-1250

-1750
s (psf)
Finding stresses on any plane… Graphical solution (Reference Plane Method)
1) Establish angle a from a reference plane (e.g,.
sy
horizontal).
tyx 2) Locate reference plane in Mohr’s circle

sa txy (center of circle to stress on ref plane)

sx 3) Measure 2a from ref plane in same direction
ta
(CW or CCW)
a
4) This intersects circle at state of stress on
angled plane

t
Analytical solution:

Reference
ta =
1
s 1  s 3 sin 2a 
2 Plane sx, txy)
s a = s 1  s 3   s 1  s 3  cos2a 
1 1
2 2
sy
s3 sx s1 s
2a
sa, ta)
*See also “Pole Point” or “Origin sy, tyx)
of Planes” Methods
Example
Graphical solution
s1 = 2.5 kPa (C) 5

sa s3 = 0.5 kPa (C)

3

ta 2
sa, ta) = (1.5, 1 kPa)
a = 45 1
2a = 90 CCW

t (kPa)
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
-1
Analytical solution:
-2

ta =
1
s 1  s 3 sin 2a  -3
Reference Plane
2
t a = 2.5  0.5sin 90 = 1 kPa
1 -4

2 -5
s (kPa)
s a = s 1  s 3   s 1  s 3  cos2a 
1 1
2 2
s a = 2.5  0.5  2.5  0.5 cos90 = 1.5 kPa
1 1
2 2
Find orientation of principal planes:
sy = 3000 psf
1) Let horizontal be reference plane
2) Find reference plane on circle tyx = -300 psf
3) Measure angle to principal plane (2a = 33.7 CCW) txy = 300 psf
4) So major principal plane is 17 deg. CCW from
horizontal
sx = 2100 psf

1750

1250

750
tmax = radius = 541
(sx , txy )=(2100,300)
250
s3=2009
s3 = 2009 psf
t (psf)

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

-250 s1=3091

(sy , tyx )=(3000,-300) 17 deg.

-750

-1250 s1 = 3091 psf

-1750
s (psf)
Example: Find stresses on plane 30˚ as shown

40 psi

25

20

30˚ 15

10
20 psi (35, 8.7)

5
s3=20

t (psi)
2a = 60
1) Let major principal plane be 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
reference plane -5 s1=40
2) Find reference plane on circle
3) Measure angle (2a = 60˚ CCW) -10

-15
40 psi
-20

-25
35 s (psi)
8.7
30˚
20 psi
Example: Find magnitude and orientation of principal stresses
25
20 psi
40 psi 20
s, t)=(20, 10)
located 30 deg CCW from
10 psi 15 horizontal
-10 psi
10
30˚
5
s3=16 2a = 45 s1=44

t (psi)
0
1) Plot known points and draw circle. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
2) Find s1 = 44 psi, s3 = 16 psi -5
3) Let plane 30˚ from horizontal be
-10
reference plane, (s,t) = (20,10)
4) Find reference plane on circle -15
5) Measure angle to minor principal
-20
plane (2a = 45˚ CCW)
6) So minor principal plane is 22.5˚ -25
s (psi)
CCW from reference plane, or
44 psi
52.5˚ CCW from horizontal.

52.5˚ 16 psi
 Graphical solution (Pole Method)

1) Draw line(s) on Mohr circle through known

sy
stress at known orientation.
tyx
2) Intersection of that line(s) with circle is the
sa txy
sx “Pole”
ta
3) Draw a line from Pole at any angle of interest.
a
This line intersects the circle at the state of
stress on the plane defined by that angle

sx, txy)

s1
s
sa, ta)
a
sy, tyx)
Pole
So what happened to soil mechanics?
P s’v

t
uw
s’h

• Is there a plane within the soil mass where the induced shear
stresses exceed the shear strength of the soil (c’, f’) ?

• Will a “failure plane” develop?

• How does shear strength depend on effective stress?

 Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criterion

t f = c's ' tan f '

c’ = effective cohesion intercept
f’ = effective friction angle
s’ = effective stress on failure plane

This is a straight line in s’-t space

t
failure
M-C Failure Envelope

no failure
s’1

f’ Mohr’s Circle
s’
s’3
c’
t
s’3 s’1 s’
 P
Bearing Capacity Failure

t s’v
Failure
Failure Plane
t
s’h

f’

c’ Stable

s’
 Active Earth Pressure Failure

Retaining
Soil
Wall
t s’v

Failure t
s’h

f’

c’ Stable

s’