Measurement and prediction of time domain waveforms in fiber-reinforced laminates

Accurate measurements have been made of the surface displacement produced by a laser-generated impulse in a cross-ply CFRP sample, whose laminae are thick in comparison to the wavelength of the ultrasound. Theoretical predictions of the expected surface displacements resulting from an impulsive source were made using the global matrix method, which predicts the behavior of guided waves in laminated structures. Good agreement is seen between experiment and theory when the bandwidths assumed by theory match those of the experiments. (C) 1995 Acoustical Society of America.