Inhomogeneous plane waves in elastic materials with voids

In this paper we present inhomogeneous plane wave solutions within the context of linear theory of poroelastic materials. We consider the class of strongly elliptic homogeneous poroelastic materials with a center of symmetry. To construct the solutions in concern, we use the “directional-ellipse” method, which reduces the propagation problem to a secular equation for wave speeds and gives further on the algebraic system which furnishes the slowness and amplitude bivectors. Explicit expressions for all possible inhomogeneous plane waves are presented in the case of isotropic poroelastic materials. These solutions are further used to study the Rayleigh waves in an isotropic poroelastic half-space. The explicit equation for the Rayleigh surface wave speed is established.