Body force effect on consolidation of porous elastic media due to pumping

Abstract

In this study, the linear poro-elasticity theory is applied to examine the body force effect on consolidation of porous media due to pumping. The steady-state solutions of displacement and incremental effective stress for a stratum of clay sandwiched between sandy strata are analytically given. The effect of body force could be represented by the body force number that depends on Lame's constants, porosity, and the thickness of porous media. The consolidation of clay is significantly related not only to the body force number but also to the ratio of water table depression in upper and lower sandy strata due to pumping. The neglect of body force will severely underestimate the displacement and incremental effective stress when porous media are soft or thick, or both. This might lead to potential flaws in engineering practice, such as the calculation of soil settlement.