The settlement of foundation with a cylindrically elastic inhomogeneity is researched. By considering the stress-deformation characteristic of the total field and applying the technique of series expansion

the appropriate stress functions are constructed; and accordingly the complex potentials of the rock mass are obtained. The numerical results indicate that to the different ratios of the shear moduli between the matrix and the inhomogeneity the settlement value of foundation boundary in some scope is greater than in the middle point of foundation base; and the value in other scope is less than in the middle point of foundation base. The results of the paper are enough accurate when the buried depth of the inhomogeneity is greater than 5 times of the radius of the inhomogeneity. As two special cases

the solutions for a circular tunnel and a rigid inhomogeneity in foundation are recovered.