Guided circumferential shear horizontal waves in an isotropic hollow cylinder

Guided time-harmonic shear horizontal (SH) waves propagating in the circumferential direction of an isotropic hollow cylinder are studied. The dispersion equation as well as the displacement and stress field across the wall thickness is derived analytically. Compared with the SH waves in a plate, a quantitative guideline of how well a plate model can approximate a pipe in the circumferential direction is given for defect characterization purpose. The work is also crucial for initiating work efforts on three-dimensional wave scattering for pipeline inspection. (C) 2004 Acoustical Society of America.