Interface conditions for Blot's equations of poroelasticity

interface conditions at a boundary between two porous media are derived dir ectly from Blot's equations of poroelasticity by replacing the discontinuit y surface with a thin transition layer, in which the properties of the medi um change rapidly yet continuously, and then taking the limit as the thickn ess of the transition layer approaches zero. The interface conditions obtai ned in this way, the well known "open-pore" conditions, are shown to be the only ones that are fully consistent with the validity of Blot's equations throughout the poroelastic continuum, including surfaces across which the m edium properties are discontinuous. But partially blocked or completely imp ermeable interfaces exist; these may be looked upon as the case of a thin l ayer with its permeability taken to be proportional to the layer thickness, again in the limit as layer thickness approaches zero. This approach can s erve as a simple recipe for modeling such an interface in any heterogeneous numerical scheme for poroelastic media. (C) 1999 Acoustical Society of Ame rica. [S0001-4966(99)03605-X].