A general model for the mechanics of saturated-unsaturated porous materials

A general predictive model for the mechanical analysis of isothermal and non-isothermal saturated-unsaturated porous materials is presented. The model is developed along the lines of Biot's theory and applies both for high water content and for low to medium water content in the pore space. Due to the similarity of the matrices in both situations, even if the transfer mechanisms are different, a single computer program can handle all of them. Examples belonging to both domains in the isothermal case as well as to heat and mass transfer in deforming porous media are shown.