Contact Problem for Saturated Poroelastic Solid

Abstract

The paper analytically examines the axisymmetric interaction between a rigid, circular, flat indentor and a poroelastic half-space that is saturated with a compressible fluid. The contact between the indentor and the poroelastic half-space is assumed to be smooth. The drainage conditions at the surface of the poroelastic half-space are considered as either completely drained, or partially drained, or completely undrained. By using the integral transform techniques, the paper develops the governing coupled integral equations. These governing integral equations are further reduced to systems of standard Fredholm integral equations of the second kind in the Laplace transform domain. Efficient computational algorithms are proposed to evaluate the time-dependent behavior of the rigid, circular indentor. The numerical results presented in the paper illustrate the manner in which the three variations in pore-pressure boundary conditions and the undrained compressibility of pore-fluid influence the consolidation response of the indentor.