Experimental and numerical studies of guided wave damage detection in bars with structural discontinuities

This paper deals with longitudinal and flexural wave propagations in steel bars with structural discontinuities. Numerical simulations were performed using the spectral element method and compared with experimental studies conducted on an intact bar as well as on bars with an additional mass, a notch and a grooved weld. To model longitudinal wave propagation including lateral deformations, special rod spectral elements in time domain (based on Love and Mindlin–Herrmann theories) were formulated. The effect of the three discontinuities on wave propagation is discussed, and the applicability of longitudinal and flexural waves to non-destructive damage detection is investigated.