Calculation of wave structure of the ultrasonic beams in nondestructive testing of brick masonries

• It is proposed an approach to calculate the wave field of the ultrasonic beam.
• Elastic contact stress under US probe is determined from an integral equation.
• The constructed solution is compared with some approximate theories.
• The calculated US beam is used to detect defects in the masonry structures.

A strict mathematical approach is proposed to calculate the wave field of the ultrasonic beam used to test arising defects in the stone or brick masonry structures. The problem is reduced to a certain integral equation with respect to the distribution of the contact stress over the base of the US probe, in frames of the dynamic elasticity theory. There is given a comparison of the so-constructed solution with some approximate theories, including a scalar model. Finally, it is evaluated the possibility to use the US beams of the calculated geometry to detect defects in the masonry structures.