Constitutive Theories for Swelling Porous Media

The macroscopic field equations three-scale and constitutive equations have been developed for various types of swelling porous media. One theory is general enough to account for electron quasi-static effects such as swelling induced ionic migration change in electrolyte upon drying or wetting. Another can handle generalized Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic solid phases with arbitrary order time-rate-of-change in the macro scale solid phase strain tensor. Explicit relations have been developed between the macroscopic and microscopic variables. Tools employed in this analysis are derived from rational mechanics and mathematical homogenization theory. Several fixed-grid and deforming-grid finite element solutions to the more elementary compaction and tearing problems have been developed. Of particular note here is the study of the deformation of a soil under both normal load and shear stress.