Analytical solution of transient dynamic response of spherical cavity in viscoelastic and saturated soils

Based on the Biot’s theory of wave propagation in porous media, this paper studies the transient dynamic response of spherical cavity in viscoelastic and saturated soils. The analytical solution in transformed domain is obtained by the method of Laplace transformation, and numerical results are solved through inversed Laplace transformation. The displacements, stresses and pore water pressure developed in the viscoelastic soils are analyzed and compared with those from elastic model, and some new observations are discussed and interpreted from the perspective of material’s properties. The findings resulting from the current study are helpful to analyzing the transient dynamic responses of underground structures in the engineering practice.