Analysis of Love Waves in Pre-Stressed Layer Sandwiched between Dry Sandy Layer and Couple Stress Substrate

In this paper, a problem of Love waves is investigated in a geometrical configuration involving an initially stressed homogeneous layer of finite thickness sandwiched between dry sandy layer of finite thickness and a microstructural substratum which is described by consistent couple stress theory. Love waves have numerous applications in various fields such as biosensors, nondestructive testing techniques and seismology. As interior of the earth involves microstructural heterogeneities and various forces in the interior of earth yield stresses, therefore geometry of the problem has been considered seeing these aspects of the earth. Using an analytical approach, dispersion relation for the propagation of Love waves in the considered geometry has been derived. Impact of various material parameters involved in the problem, such as, initial stresses in the intermediate layer, sandiness parameter of top layer, width ratio of layers and characteristic length parameter of substratum are depicted on the phase velocity of Love waves.