Effective elastic properties for a periodic bicontinuous porous medium (Q1322762)

The effective elastic properties of a bicontinuous porous medium are calculated. The model geometry assumes a continuous solid phase consisting of an array of overlapping spheres on a simple cubic lattice. The interstitial spaces form a second continuous phase saturated with a compressible fluid. The anisotropic elasticity tensor \(C_{ijkl}\) is expressed in terms of three scalar parameters \(\alpha\), \(\beta\) and \(\gamma\). Numerical computations are performed to evaluate these parameters as a function of volume fraction. The numerical computations are complemented by an asymptotic theory valid for small solid contact area.