Love Wave Propagation in Vertical Heterogeneous Fiber-Reinforced Stratum Imperfectly Bonded to a Micropolar Elastic Substrate

Abstract

The microstructure that lies within a continuum sometimes plays a very important role, and hence, mechanics associated with the microstructure cannot be disregarded during the study of elastodynamic problems in such a structure. Also, the bonding between the stratum in the composite structure is not always perfect. Therefore, the present paper investigates the effect of imperfect interfacial bonding on Love wave propagation in a vertically heterogeneous fiber-reinforced stratum lying over a micropolar elastic substrate. Under imperfect bonding conditions, the dispersion relation affecting the Love wave was derived analytically. The study reveals that wave number, k, coupling factor, N, and a imperfectness parameter, Γ disfavor the phase velocity of a Love wave, whereas reinforcement, μL/μT, heterogeneity, ν, and micropolarity, kH′2/γ, favor the phase velocity of a Love wave. The influence of a complex interface on the phase velocity of a Love wave was analyzed meticulously, and it was found that a flexibility imperfectness parameter encourages, whereas a viscoelastic imperfectness parameter discourages, the phase velocity; however, the effect of the viscoelastic imperfectness parameter is dominating.