Stresses in an Elastic Half Space Due to Surface Loads Progressing at the Speed of Rayleigh Waves

Abstract

The nature of the singularity in the stresses produced near the front of a progressing step load of pressure on the surface of an elastic half space is investigated for the case when the velocity of the front coincides with that of Rayleigh waves in the elastic medium. The technique is based on the assumption of the basic form of the solution and the demonstration that this assumption is correct. It is found that for the particular velocity of the front considered here, unusually large stresses are produced in the medium.