Analysis of strength and wave velocity for micro-damaged elastic media

•It is proposed a new macroscopic theoretical approach to study damaged solids.•Two types of defects are considered: cracks and round voids.•The approach applied is founded upon the Boundary Integral Equations method.•A correlation between strength and wave speed of the US impulse is established.

A new macroscopic theoretical approach is proposed for strength analysis of damaged elastic bodies. Two types of defects are considered: cracks and round voids. The method applied is founded upon the Boundary Integral Equations (BIEs) method. The problem is studied for both anti-plane and in-plane mode of deformation. We give respective diagrams for calculated physical quantities. The results obtained in frames of the BIE method are compared with an alternative technique based on a propagation of ultrasonic impulses through the damaged media. There is evaluated a correlation between strength of the micro-damaged media and the wave speed of the of ultrasonic (US) impulse.