Transient Compressional Waves in an Infinite Elastic Plate or Elastic Layer Overlying a Rigid Half-Space

Abstract

The problem treated is that of an infinite free plate excited symmetrically by two equal and normally opposed step point-loads on its faces. The problem is equivalent to that of the surface normal point-load excitation of an infinite elastic layer, half the thickness of the plate, overlying a rigid half-space with lubricated contact. The formal solution is obtained from the equations of motion in linear elasticity with the aid of a double integral transform technique and residue theory. The stationary phase method, and known characteristics of the governing Rayleigh-Lamb frequency equation, are used to analyze and evaluate numerically the far field displacements. It is shown that the head of the disturbance is composed predominantly of the low-frequency long waves from the lowest mode of wave transmission.