Poromechanics

Poromechanics is a branch of physics and specifically continuum mechanics and acoustics that studies the behavior of fluid-saturated porous media. A porous media consists of a solid matrix containing interconnected fluid-saturated pores and is called poroelastic when the matrix is elastic and the fluid is viscous. A poroelastic medium is characterized by its porosity, permeability as well as the properties of its constituents (solid matrix and fluid).

In physical terms the theory postulates that when a porous material is subjected to stress, the resulting matrix deformation leads to volumetric changes in the pores. Since the pores are fluid-filled, the presence of the fluid not only acts as a stiffener of the material, but also results in the flow of the pore fluid (diffusion) between regions of higher and lower pore pressure.

The concept of a porous medium originally emerged in soil mechanics while now has a wide application in biological cellular tissues and man made materials such as foam and ceramics.