2D dynamic response of unlined and lined tunnels in poroelastic soil to harmonic body waves

The problem of harmonic wave diffraction by tunnels in an infinite poroelastic saturated soil obeying Biot's theory is studied numerically under conditions of plane strain and the effect of poroelasticity on the response is assessed through some parametric studies. The method is based on the theory of Mei and Foda, which considers the total field to be approximated by the superposition of an elastodynamic problem with modified elastic constants and mass density for the whole domain and a diffusion problem for the pore fluid pressure confined to a boundary layer at the free boundaries. Both problems are solved numerically by the boundary element method in the frequency domain. Results dealing with the response of a circular tunnel with and without an elastic concrete liner in an infinite poroelastic medium to incident harmonic P and SV plane waves are provided and compared against analytical ones as well as to those corresponding to linear elastic soil behaviour. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.