Time-domain Ultrasonic Wave Propagation in Reinforced Concrete Media: A Finite Element Study

We present finite element solutions to the time-domain Helmholtz equation in reinforced concrete media. Ultrasonic propagation in both homogeneous and inhomogeneous media is studied. Generally, a homogeneous concrete medium has a uniform distribution of acoustic properties including both acoustic speed and attenuation, while an inhomogeneous medium contains one or multiple inhomogeneities having acoustic properties that differ from that of the background homogeneous medium. The finite element solutions are used to determine the acoustic speed and attenuation changes required for the accurate detection of inhomogeneities embedded in the background medium.