Withdrawal of a compressible pore fluid from a point sink in an isotropic elastic half space with anisotropic permeability (Q1087435)

The complete solution is presented for the transient effects of pumping fluid at a constant rate from a point sink embedded in a saturated, porous elastic half space. It is assumed that the medium is homogeneous and isotropic with respect to its elastic properties and homogeneous but anisotropic with respect to the flow of pore fluid. The soil skeleton is modelled as an isotropic linear elastic material obeying Hooke's law while the pore fluid may be compressible with its flow governed by Darcy's law. The solution has been evaluated for a particular value of Poisson's ratio of the solid skeleton and the results have been presented graphically in the form of isochrones of excess pore pressure and surface profile for the half space. The solutions presented may have application in practical problems such as dewatering operations in compressible soil and rock masses and in the extraction of petroleum products from the crust of the earth.