Thesis (M.Eng.)--Chulalongkorn University, 2001

This thesis is concerned with the interaction between an axisymmetrically loaded circular plate buried in a multi-layered poroelastic half-space by employing an energy method. The assumed deflected shape is in the form of a set of undetermined constants. The total potential energy functional consists of the strain energy of multi-layered media, the strain energy of the circular plate and the potential energy of the applied loads. The unknown constants are obtained from a linearly independent algebraic equation system obtained from the minimization of the total potential energy functional. The accuracy of the present scheme is confirmed by comparing with the existing results. Selected numerical results for displacement and bending moment of a plate as well as stresses and pore pressure in a multi-layered poroelastic half-space are presented to portray the influence of plate stiffness, types of loading and poroelastic material properties on the interaction problem.