Lamb wave propagation in composite laminates using a higher-order plate theory

Abstract

A new consistent higher-order plate theory is developed for composites with the aim of accurately and efficiently modeling multiple higher-order Lamb waves over a higher frequency range. The dispersion relations based on this theory that can be analytically determined comprise five symmetric and six anti-symmetric wave modes. Computational procedures for phase and group velocities are discussed. Meanwhile, characteristic wave curves including velocity, slowness, and wave curves are introduced to investigate the dispersive and anisotropic behavior of Lamb wave propagation in composites. From numerical results of Lamb waves in both lamina and symmetric laminate, it shows that the higher-order plate theory not only gives good agreement with three-dimensional (3-D) elasticity theory over a wide high frequency range, but also provides a more robust method than 3-D elasticity theory. This study demonstrates a feasibility of using the proposed theory for realizing near real-time Structural Health Monitoring for composites at a higher frequency range.