Propagation of elastic waves in water-saturated soils

A brief review of the literatures on the titled subject is given. A set of wave equations, taking the inertial coupling effect between soil skeleton and pore water into account, are established for saturated soils. The preliminary analysis shows that the nature of wave propagation is mainly influenced by permeability coefficient,k. There are three types of waves, two (P-and S-wave) propagating through soil skeleton and one(P-wave) through pore water. For a soil with large value ofk, compression wave velocity through pore water will be greater than that through single-phased water, and ask→∞, the former could be times as great as the latter. For a soil with extremely low permeability, the compression wave velocity could be either less or greater than that through single-phased water, depending on the rigidity of the soil passing through. Some phenomena observed from tests presented in the literature may be reasonably explained by the proposed theory herein, and thus more reliable parameters of soil could be obtained from wave velocity measurements. Further studies on this subject are still needed. This paper is a part of the dissertation of the first author for the Ph.D. degree, the second author is his advisor.     

Propagation velocities of elastic waves in saturated soils

Based on the wave equations established by the authors, the characteristics of propagation velocities of elastic waves in saturated soils are analyzed and verified by ultrasonic test in laboratory and seismic survey in the field. The results provide theoretical basis for the determination of physical and mechanical parameters of saturated soils using propagation velocities of elastic waves, especially P-wave Velocity.     

On the classification of elastic waves

A hierarchical classification of elastic waves based on the concept of the shape of the wave profile and the fact that the phase velocity is either constant or functionally dependent on the amplitude or phase is described. By elastic waves are understood waves that propagate in elastic media and that are not necessarily linear and not necessarily single-phase. Five types of waves are introduced, being distinguished in terms of features introduced in the present article that also render their properties more complicated in terms of the hierarchical classification. S. P. Timoshenko Institute of Mechanics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 35, No. 11, pp. 27–33, November, 1999.     

On the quasistatic effective elastic moduli for elastic waves in three-dimensional phononic crystals

Effective elastic moduli for 3D solid–solid phononic crystals of arbitrary anisotropy and oblique lattice structure are formulated analytically using the plane-wave expansion (PWE) method and the recently proposed monodromy-matrix (MM) method. The latter approach employs Fourier series in two dimensions with direct numerical integration along the third direction. As a result, the MM method converges much quicker to the exact moduli in comparison with the PWE as the number of Fourier coefficients increases. The MM method yields a more explicit formula than previous results, enabling a closed-form upper bound on the effective Christoffel tensor. The MM approach significantly improves the efficiency and accuracy of evaluating effective wave speeds for high-contrast composites and for configurations of closely spaced inclusions, as demonstrated by three-dimensional examples.     

On the propagation of elastic waves through composite media

Summary With the aid of an ultrasonic pulse technique, the propagation of elastic waves (longitudinal as well as transverse) through polyurethane rubbers filled with different amounts of sodium chloride particles was studied. The velocity of both longitudinal and transverse waves was found to increase with filler content. From the measured wave velocities, the effective modulus for longitudinal waves,L, bulk modulus,K, and shear modulus,G, were calculated according to the relations for a homogeneous isotropic material. All three moduli appear to be monotonously increasing functions of the filler content over the whole experimentally accessible temperature range (–70 °C to + 70 °C forL andK;}-70 °C to about –20 °C forG) and they, moreover, reflect the glassrubber transition of the binder.Poisson's ratio,, was found to decrease with increasing filler content and show a rise at the high temperature side of the experimentally accessible temperature range (about –20 °C) as a result of the approach of the glass-rubber transition.In addition to the velocities, the attenuation of both longitudinal and transverse waves was measured in the temperature ranges mentioned. It was found that in the hard region tan _L as well as tan _G are independent of the filler content within the accuracy of the measurements. In the rubbery region, however, tan _L, increases with increasing filler content.Finally, the experimental data are compared with a simple macroscopic theory on the elastic properties of composite media.     

On the theory of plane inhomogeneous waves in anisotropic elastic media

In the theory of plane inhomogeneous elastic waves, the complex wave vector constituted by two real vectors in a given plane may be described with the aid of two complex scalar parameters. Either of those parameters may be taken as a free one in the characteristic condition assigned to the wave equation. This alternative underlies the two fundamental approaches in the theory, namely, one associated with the Stroh eigenvalue problem and the other with the generalized Christoffel eigenvalue problem. The two approaches are identical insofar as a partial nondegenerate wave solution (partial mode) is concerned, but they differ in the fundamental solution (wave packet) assembling, and their dissimilarity is also revealed in the presence of degeneracies, which may involve either of the two governing parameters or both of them. Therefore, use of both approaches is essential for studying the degeneracy phenomenon in the theory of inhomogeneous waves. The criteria for different types of degeneracy, related to a double eigenvalue of the Stroh matrix or the Christoffel matrix and at the same time to a repeated root of the characteristic condition, are formulated by appeal to the matrix algebra and to the theory of polynomial equations. On this basis, dimensions of the manifolds, associated with degeneracy of different types in the space of variables, are established for elastic media of unrestricted anisotropy. The relation to the boundary-value problems is discussed.     

On the propagation of generalized transverse waves in heat-conducting elastic materials

A generalized transverse wave is a propagating acceleration discontinuity on which the temperature and the entropy, together with their gradients, are continuous. In a heat-conducting elastic material the propagation and growth of such waves are uninfluenced by thermomechanical interaction. It is shown in this paper that in any given plane there is at least one direction in which a generalized transverse wave may propagate, and the existence is also proved of at least one direction in which a pair of generalized transverse waves may travel. Necessary and sufficient conditions are established for the speeds of propagation of these waves to be real. Relationships between transverse and generalized transverse waves are also studied, and in the last two sections of the paper the directions in which generalized transverse waves may propagate in an isotropic heat-conducting elastic material are systematically worked out and classified.     

On the propagation of elastic waves in a multiperiodically reinforced medium

By a multiperiodically reinforced medium (multiperiodic composite) we mean a composite in which the matrix material is reinforced by two or more families of periodically spaced fibres. Moreover, at least along one direction the periods corresponding to different families are different. An example of this composite is shown in Fig. 1, where along the x ¹-axis we deal with two different periods . The aim of the contribution is twofold. First, we propose a macroscopic (averaged) model of a multiperiodic composite, describing the effect of period lengths on the overall dynamic behaviour of the medium, in contrast to the known homogenized models. Second, we apply this model to the analysis of elastic waves propagating across a composite reinforced by two pairs of families of parallel periodically spaced fibres with different periods along certain direction.     

On the self-switching of hypersonic waves in cubic nonlinear elastic nanocomposites

A summary on transistors and some facts on nanocomposite materials and their classical models are provided. New models used here for computer simulation are described. Results from a theoretical study of the interaction of cubic nonlinear harmonic elastic plane waves in a Murnaghan material are presented. The interaction of two harmonic waves is analyzed using the method of slowly varying amplitudes. The mechanism of energy pumping from a strong pump wave to a weak signal wave is examined. The theoretical and numerical analyses conducted suggest that in theory, a nanocomposite material may be used to create a transistor that would work with hypersonic waves and have a speed in the nanosecond range Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 90–117, January 2009.     

On the propagation of elastic waves through composite media II

Summary The propagation of elastic waves (both longitudinal and transverse) through polyurethane rubbers filled with different amounts of sodium chloride particles was studied at 0.8 MHz and 5 MHz. At a constant filler concentration (∼10% by volume), the velocity of these waves appeared to be independent of filler size. On the other hand, both velocities were found to increase with filler content. From the wave velocities, the effective modulus for longitudinal waves, L, bulk modulus, K, and shear modulus, G, were calculated according to the relations for a homogeneous isotropic material. All three moduli appear to be monotonically increasing functions of filler content, c, over the whole experimentally accessible temperature range (−80°C to +80°C for L and K; −80°C to about −30°C for G) and they, moreover, reflect the glass-rubber transition of the binder. Poissons ratio, μ, was found to decrease with increasing filler content and shows a rise at about −30°C as a result of the approach of the glass-rubber transition. The attenuation of the elastic waves was also measured in the temperature ranges mentioned. For filler particles beyond a critical size both tan δ_L and tan δ_G in the hard region are independent of the filler content within the accuracy of the measurements. The critical size depends on the type of wave and on its frequency. In the rubbery region, however, tan δ_L increases with particle size (at a constant content of 10% by volume) and even shows an enhancement with the smallest particles (1–5 μ) at 0.8 MHz. Moreover, it is found that for the same filler size tan δ_L increases with filler content. In some cases an anomalous damping behaviour was found, such that in the rubbery region the attenuation rises indefinitely with temperature. For filler particles larger than the above-mentioned critical size, tan δ_G and tan δ_L increase in the hard region as well. Finally, the experimental results are compared with existing theories on the elastic properties of and wave propagation through composite media.     

Nonlinear elastic shear waves

Summary The dynamics of one-dimensional two-component shear motion in elastic-isotropic homogeneous media is studied assuming isentropic finite displacements. Wave breaking of initially continuous waves on the infinite interval is discussed for weakly nonlinear waves.The problem of a resonating finite-thickness shear layer in primary resonance for single-component motion exhibits jump discontinuities of particle velocity, shear strain and stress in a finite frequency band near primary resonance.Under certain conditions two-component motion can be reduced to a quasi-single-component motion.     

On the spatial behavior in the theory of swelling porous elastic soils

This paper is concerned with the study of the spatial behavior of the processes associated with a mixture consisting of three components: an elastic solid, a viscous fluid and a gas. An appropriate time-weighted surface power function is used in order to describe the spatial behavior of the processes in question. Spatial estimates of Saint–Venant type (for bounded bodies) and Phragmèn–Lindelöf type (for unbounded bodies) with time-dependent and time-independent rates are established. For unbounded bodies the asymptotic spatial behavior of the processes is also studied by means of an appropriate volumetric measure.