Propagation Prediction of Body Waves in Fluid-Saturated Soils with Flow-Independent Viscosity

Abstract

A systematic study of wave theory in thermoviscoelastic soil is essential for engineering applications such as geophysical exploration. In the present work, the influences of flow-independent viscosity of the soil skeleton and the thermal effect on elastic waves are considered, and the propagation behaviors of body waves in thermoviscoelastic saturated soil are investigated. Firstly, the thermoviscoelastic dynamic coupling model of saturated soil were established by employing the Biot model, the generalized thermoelastic theory, and the Kelvin–Voigt linear viscoelastic model. Secondly, the dispersion equations of body waves in thermoviscoelastic saturated soil were theoretically derived with structural symmetry considered. Finally, the variations of wave velocity and the attenuation coefficient of the body waves with the thermophysical parameters are discussed. The results revealed that the enhancement of the relaxation time of soil caused an increase of wave velocity and the attenuation coefficient of P1, P2, and S waves, and a decrease of the wave velocity and attenuation coefficient of the thermal wave. Different ranges of the permeability coefficient and frequency have different effects on the P1, P2, and S waves. The variation of thermal conductivity and the phase-lags of heat flux and temperature gradient only affect the thermal wave.

Keywords

• thermoviscoelasticity
• saturated soil
• body wave
• wave velocity
• attenuation coefficient