Effective Boundary Conditions and Stochastic Crack Distribution for Modelling Guided Waves Scattering by a Partially Closed Interfacial Delamination in a Laminate

Cohesive and adhesive bindings degrade during operation and maintenance even if contacting materials in a manufactured laminated structure are perfectly matched at the interfaces. Two modelling approaches for describing partially closed delaminations or imperfect contact zones, which often occurs at the interfaces, are examined and considered. To confirm the adequateness of the applicability of the effective spring boundary conditions for guided wave scattering by a finite length delamination, guided wave propagation through a damaged zone with a distribution of micro-cracks is compared with an equivalent cohesive zone model, where the spring stiffnesses for the effective boundary conditions are calculated using the properties of the considered crack distribution. Two kinds of local interfacial decohesion zones with an imperfect contact at the interfaces are considered: uniform partially closed delaminations and bridged cracks. The possibility of the employment of the effective spring boundary conditions to substitute a distribution of micro-cracks is analysed and discussed. Two algorithms of generation of a distribution of open micro-cracks providing characteristics equivalent to the effective boundary conditions are presented and examined. The influence of the characteristics of a delamination on wave characteristics (eigenfrequencies, eigenforms, transmission coefficient) is investigated for several kinds of partially closed delaminations.