Consolidation of axisymmetric bodies subjected to non axisymmetric loading

In many cases the analysis of the consolidation of axisymmetric bodies subjected to non axisymmetric loading may be carried out without recourse to a full three dimensional treatment. Advantage may be taken of the axisymmetric nature of the body and field quantities such as displacement and pore pressure can be given a fourier representation. The problem is then reduced from one in three spatial dimensions (r, g, z) and the time domain to one in two spatial dimensions (r, z) and the time domain. The method is illustrated with two examples; one is a tunnelling problem, the other involves consolidation due to lateral loading of a pile (a).