A TWO-DIMENSIONAL SIMULATION OF ULTRASONIC WAVE PROPAGATION IN CONCRETE USING FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

Due to the propagation and interaction characteristics in materials of the ultrasonic wave, it is widely used in the different fields such as medical, mechanical, and construction engineering, specially to detect cracks and defects in concrete construction, and to identify characteristics of concrete material as well. Understanding the propagation and interaction characteristics of the ultrasound wave in isotropic and anisotropy elastic materials plays a very important role. The paper presents a method for a two-dimensional simulation of ultrasonic wave propagation in concrete structure treating as homogenous, isotropic and anisotropic elastic media. A mathematical model of wave propagation using dynamic equilibrium equations in concrete structures with inclusions, steel reinforcements and cracks, is introduced. Then, numerical simulation is mentioned based on finite element method. The results of simulation show two-dimensional images of wave propagation inside concrete structures, as well as displacements, stresses and strains at specific points in the material according to space and time. The simulations are made for different cases of concrete structures with inclusions, steel reinforcements and open cracks.