A Green's function method to SH-wave motion in a random continuum

In this work, we develop Green's functions for SH waves in an elastic continuum exhibiting large randomness. These functions can be subsequently used within the context of BEM formulations for wave scattering problems of engineering interest. More specifically, the methodology developed here employs a series expansion for the proposed Green's functions, where the basis functions are orthogonal polynomials of a random argument. The corresponding BEM formulation is then presented in the Fourier transform domain. This way, we depart from earlier BEM derivations based on perturbations, which imply the presence of 'small' amounts of randomness in the elastic continuum, and move towards the development of methods that are computationally efficient alternatives to Monte Carlo simulations. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.