Abstract: | The general forms for the field equations governing the transient response of poroelastic media given by Biot and by Zienkiewicz are compared and relations between the material constants are obtained. A one-dimensional analytical solution is presented for the situation where the solid and fluid materials satisfy Biot'S dynamic compatibility relation. The transient response of porous media is illustrated for varying degrees of solid and fluid compressibility when subjected to step, cyclic and short duration spike surface tractions. The results obtained (for the special situation where the materials are dynamically compatible) exhibit the overall characteristics of wave propagation in porous media and will provide representative test problems which allow a quantitative evaluation of the accuracy of various numerical solution methods (e.g. finite element models). |