Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) procedures are needed for materials processing, as well as for post-process materials testing. They play important roles in product design, analysis of service-life expectancy, manufacturing and quality control of manufactured products. They are also essential to on-line monitoring of the integrity of structural elements and complex systems. Rational accept and reject criteria should be based on NDE tests. Critical safety, efficiency and operational features of large-scale structures depend on adequate NDE capabilities. The lectures presented in this volume are concerned with quantitative ultrasonic NDE. They present fundamental concepts and basic theory, as well as applications to the detection of cracks and the evaluation of material properties. The following topics are discussed: basic wave propagation theory for ultrasonic NDE; piezoelectric transducers, EMATS and ultrasonic spectroscopy; laser-based ultrasonics; acoustoelasticity; ultrasound in solids with porosity, microcracking and polycrystalline structuring; the determination of mechanical properties of composite materials; inverse problems and imaging.

The reciprocity theorem has been used for over 100 years to establish interesting and useful relationships and to formulate problems. Internationally distinguished for his contributions to mechanics, Jan Achenbach presents a novel method of solving wave fields. The material presented here is relevant to applications in engineering and applied physics such as ultrasonics for medical imaging and non-destructive evaluation, acoustic microscopy, seismology, exploratory geophysics, and structural acoustics.

Current economics often dictate the use of structures well beyond their design lives. Today, there is an increased reliance on nondestructive evaluation (NDE) to provide accurate data about the health of materials in these aging systems. Examples of such structures include aircraft, bridges, nuclear reactors, roads, ships, industrial manufacturing facilities, storage vessels for both toxic and nontoxic substances, electronic hardware, etc. This book looks at ways to develop new NDE techniques for aging materials. Special emphasis is given to the structural health of concrete, defects in high-strength aircraft materials and the characterization of steels in nuclear reactors. One intriguing new technology, borrowed from the semiconductor industry, is the use of very small micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) to monitor materials properties in situ. Using these devices in networks should permit both real-time monitoring of materials properties during operation and the anticipation of component failure. The book also explores the many potentially fertile collaborative research opportunities between NDE and noninvasive medical diagnostic procedures.