Application of a second-order paraxial boundary condition to problems of dynamics of circular foundations on a porous layered half-space

Abstract A half-space finite element and a consistent transmitting boundary in a cylindrical coordinate system are developed for analysis of rigid circular (or cylindrical) foundations in a water-saturated porous layered half-space. By means of second-order paraxial approximations of the exact dynamic stiffness for a half-space in plane-strain and antiplane-shear conditions, the corresponding approximation for general three-dimensional wave motion in a Cartesian coordinate system is obtained and transformed in terms of cylindrical coordinates. Using the paraxial approximations, the half-space finite element and consistent transmitting boundary are formulated in a cylindrical coordinate system. The development is verified by comparison of dynamic compliances of rigid circular foundations with available published results. Examination of the advantage of the paraxial condition vis-a-vis the fixed condition shows that the former achieves substantial gain in computational effort. The developed half-space finite element and transmitting boundary can be employed for accurate and effective analysis of foundation dynamics and soil–structure interaction in a porous layered half-space.