MULTIPLE-SCATTERING OF ELASTIC-WAVES IN A FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITE

Propagation of elastic waves in a composite containing randomly distri buted parallel fibers is studied in this paper. Both anti-plane (SH wa ves) and in-plane (P and SV waves) cases are considered. A multiple sc attering theory and a statistical averaging procedure are implemented by means of the so-called Generalized Self Consistent Model (GSCM). Mu ltiple scattering in the inhomogeneous medium results in a frequency d ependent velocity and attenuation of the waves. The effective phase ve locity and attenuation of the coherent waves are calculated for a wide range of frequencies and concentrations. The degree of interaction be tween the fibers is determined and the average strain calculated in a given inclusion by direct analysis and approximate homogenization is c ompared. The proposed method recovers three well-known static effectiv e moduli of fiber-reinforced composites in the Rayleigh limit and the results at higher frequencies are physically reasonable.