Evaluation of three and two fields finite element method for the dynamic response of saturated porous media

The three-field formulation u–p–U is presented and is applied to solve dynamic equations for saturated porous media. In order to evaluate the accuracy and the performance of this three-field approximation, the u–U and the u–w formulations are also considered and a few one- and two-dimensional examples are solved using the three methods. Problems for which both the pore fluid and the solid grains are incompressible are also considered and are solved using the u–p-U approximation. Accuracy was determined by a comparison of the finite element results with the analytical solution given by Gajo and Mongiovi, for a wide range of permeability.