PROPAGATION OF SURFACE-WAVES IN ANISOTROPIC SOLIDS - THEORETICAL CALCULATION AND EXPERIMENT

This paper utilizes the Stroh-Barnett's integral formalism of surface waves in anisotropic solids to calculate the variation of surface wave speeds of a unidirectional fibre-reinforced composite in an efficient way. The decaying pattern of the displacements and tractions along th e depth were also calculated using the determined surface wave speeds. To study the propagations of surface waves in the fibre-reinforced co mposite plate experimentally, point-source/point-receiver (PS/PR) expe riments were conducted. A pulsed laser was utilized to generate a poin t disturbance in the composite plate and the transient waves were reco rded by a PZT transducer with an acting diameter of about 1.5 mm. The slowness curves of the surface wave energy velocity were determined fr om the experimental data and the results were in accordance with those calculated theoretically.