Thermo‐hydro‐mechanical analysis of partially saturated porous materials

Presents a fully coupled numerical model to simulate the slow transient phenomena involving heat and mass transfer in deforming partially saturated porous materials. Makes use of the modified effective stress concept together with the capillary pressure relationship. Examines phase changes (evaporation‐condensation(, heat transfer through conduction and convection, as well as latent heat transfer. The governing equations in terms of gas pressure, capillary pressure, temperature and displacements are coupled non‐linear differential equations and are discretized by the finite element method in space and by finite differences in the time domain. The model is further validated with respect to a documented experiment on partially saturated soil behaviour, and the effects of two‐phase flow, as compared to the one‐phase flow solution, are analysed. Two other examples involving drying of a concrete wall and thermoelastic consolidation of partially saturated clay demonstrate the importance of proper physical modelling and of appropriate choice of the boundary conditions.