A direct boundary element method for plane strain poroelasticity

Abstract This paper presents a direct boundary element method (BEM), formulated in the Laplace transform space, for plane strain poroelasticity. The paper expands on work by Cheng and Liggett by recasting the theoretical foundation of BEM within the framework of Rice and Cleary's formulation of the Biot theory of poroelasticity. Furthermore, the numerical algorithm is generalized to deal with both interior and exterior domain problems, and a method for indirectly calculating the Cauchy principal value of the singular integrals is presented. Formulae for the stress and flux inside the domain are also derived. Finally, the algorithm is validated by comparing the numerical results with the analytical solution of a borehole subject to a far‐field deviatoric stress (exterior domain) and with the solution of Mandel's problem (interior domain). These two examples provide a critical test of the algorithm.