Influence of elastic deformations on body-wave velocity in solids: a case study considering shear deformations in concrete

Abstract: This paper investigates the influence of elastic deformation on the velocity of body waves in compressible isotropic materials making use of the framework of acoustoelasticity. Specifically, it examines body waves propagating at an angle to the principal deformation axes, where both shear and normal deformations are present in the coordinate system defined by the wave propagation direction. While numerous efforts have addressed this topic, the theoretical derivations have not yet to provide definitive conclusions about the response of wave velocity to applied shear stresses and strains. To derive more specific conclusions for body waves in concrete, we analyzed three examples using concrete as the medium. The key findings are that, in case of concrete materials when body waves propagate on the shear deformation plane, variations in longitudinal wave velocity are predominantly attributed to changes in normal strains, whereas transverse wave velocity is significantly influenced by both normal and shear strains. This finding can enhance the use of acoustoelasticity for detecting the magnitudes and directions of principal stresses in plane stress state applications.