Abstract
The stress state in deformed solids has a significant impact on the attenuation of an ultrasonic wave propagating through the medium. Measuring a signal with certain attenuation characteristics can therefore provide useful diagnostic information about the stress state in the structure. In this work, basic principles behind a novel attenuation-based diagnostic framework are introduced. An experimental study on steel bars under three-point bending was carried out, and finite element analyses were used to numerically model the experiments. Obtained test results showed a strong correlation between the external load and the ultrasonic signal energy, which decreases with increasing load. A similar but positive correlation appeared between the level of attenuation of longitudinal ultrasonic wave signals and the external load, which allowed for efficient estimation of the mid-span bending moment. Upon proper calibration of testing equipment, the change in ultrasonic signal energy can therefore be used as an indicator of the external load level. As a result, this effect has potential applications in non-destructive structural health monitoring frameworks.
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