Soil stresses and settlement are two major factors to consider when preparing a building's foundation. Soil stresses can be caused by different factors such as overlying soil masses, ground water, and surface loadings. These stresses can however be calculated with different formulas depending on the circumstances present and factors effecting the soil. Calculating existing subsurface stresses is an important first step before applying additional surface loadings in the form of a building foundation to prevent unwanted or un-planned for soil settlement. Soil settlement occurs when a surface loading causes the underlying soil to compress, and ultimately change the elevation of the surface load, causing unwanted damages to the structure. In order to prevent settlement, compaction tests and standards can be implemented to ensure the soil is capable of supporting an imposed load with managed and calculated settlement