The transverse elastic impact response of thick hollow cylinders

The two objectives of the studies in this paper were to determine the transient elastic impact response of thick-walled hollow cylindrical structures and to determine how this response was affected by the presence of flaws in the cylinder. These studies were aimed at determining the feasibility of using the impact-echo method for detecting flaws in the cylindrical concrete structures, such as pipes. Three-dimensional finite element models and laboratory specimens containing various types of flaws at known locations were used in the studies. It is shown that, for a hollow cylinder having a length greater than about eight times its outer diameter, the impact response as measured at points close to the impact point is composed of a number of resonant frequencies caused by cross-sectional (flexural) modes and a thickness frequency caused by dilatational waves reflected between the inner and outer wall surfaces. Equations are presented which relate the response of a hollow cylinder to the frequency of the fundamental cross-sectional (flexural) mode of a solid circular bar. It is shown that the location of cracks, areas of reduced wall thickness, and honeycombing as well as the depth of surface-opening cracks can be determined.