Consolidation theory derived without invoking porosity

Biot and Willis wrote that consolidation theory could be derived without reference to porosity. I do so in this article. The coefficients in the consolidation equation that results are easier to understand than Biotʹs. In special cases the theory leads to three-dimensional diffusion equations. One such is when all constituents of the material are intrinsically incompressible, a good approximation for articular cartilage. In one dimension the conditions leading to a diffusion equation are much broader. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.