ABSTRACT
In estimating heave at the base of a cut, negative footing analogy is commonly used. In other words, stress relief due to excavation is modelled as a negative, i.e. upward acting, load. Such a load causes upward deformation or heave of the formation. Just as for estimating (positive) settlement, so also for negative settlement or heave, it is important to know the variation in the applied (negative) stress with depth and the corresponding changes in the ambient stresses in the ground. However, for the heave calculations to be meaningful, it is important to ensure, at the very outset, that the base of the cut is not susceptible to failure.
