Leaky Lamb Waves (llw) in Multiorientation Composite Laminates

Considerable efforts have been made in recent years to develop quantitative nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques for composite materials, which are being used increasingly in primary structures. The leaky Lamb wave phenomenon has shown considerable potential as an NDE method [1]. Most results reported in this area to date have been concerned with unidirectional laminates [2-4]. This is attributed to the complexity involved in theoretically predicting the response of these materials, as well as to certain difficulties associated with the experimental research. In practice, structural composites are made up of layers in various orientations. Their stacking order is dependent upon the requirements of the particular application. Therefore, the capability of analyzing the behavior of Lamb waves in multiorientation laminates is crucial for the application of LLW to composites.