The Use Of Boundary Elements To Solve Biot's Equations For The Consolidation Of Saturated Poro-Elastic Medium

摘要

This paper discusses the application of boundary elements, with time independent fundamental solutions, to solve Blot's plane strain consolidation equations for poro-elastic saturated medium, assuming incompressible grains and fluid. The time marching scheme divides the analysis in small steps and applies finite differences to integrate the diffusion equations as well as to determine the time derivative of the total volumetric stresses. Each phase of the consolidation phenomenon is solved independently within a time step, and the exchange of common data associated to an iterative procedure provides means of coupling the two analyses. The domain integrals in the elastostatic integral equation, provides simple means of simulating elastic medium heterogeneity, without any changes in the existing matrices, using the same procedure adopted to introduce plasticity to the BEM.