Numerical simulation of surface wave propagation in material with inhomogeneity: Inclusion size effect

This paper presents a numerical study of surface wave propagation in an elastic matrix with different shape and size of thin inclusions that simulate distributed damage keeping the content constant. The longitudinal and Rayleigh wave velocity change almost up to 15% depending on the inclusion shape, while the experimental variance is also affected by locality. Application of different frequencies demonstrates that the material is dispersive due to elastic scattering and suggests new features for characterization in addition to the traditionally used pulse velocity. Caution should be taken for the interpretation of the wave measurements, since wave propagation is sensitive not only to the damage content but also to the “crack” size.