Comparative study on orthotropic solid waves by time-domain BEM and dynamic photoelasticity

Experimental research and numerical analysis are two basic tools in the study of wave propagation problems in orthotropic media. In this paper, an experimental method, namely dynamic orthotropic photoelasticity, which studies the dynamic behavior of orthotropic materials on a macroscopic scale by employing orthotropic birefringent materials, is established. Meanwhile, a numerical method, namely time domain boundary element method (BEM) for wave propagation in orthotropic media, is also presented. The two methods are used together in the analysis of semi-infinite orthotropic plates with and without a circular hole modeled by a unidirectional fiber-reinforced composite under impact loading. The propagation, reflection and diffraction of stress waves in the orthotropic media are recorded experimentally and investigated. Time histories of birefringent fringe orders or stresses for specific points of the plates are obtained, respectively, from the two methods and compared with each other. The comparative study demonstrates the applicability and accuracy of the two methods for wave propagation problems in orthotropic media.