Identification of complex shear modulus from measured shear strains on a circular disc subjected to a transient torque

A method for identification of complex shear modulus from measured shear strains on a circular disc subjected to a transient torque at its centre has been established. It is based on the evolution of an outgoing shear wave between two radial positions at which the associated shear strains are measured. The two-dimensional shear wave solutions used are exact in the sense of three-dimensional theory. Therefore, in principle, there is no frequency beyond which they are not valid. The method requires a minimum disc size, which is related to the duration of the load. The non-parametric results become inaccurate at frequencies near zero and at certain problematic frequencies where the excitation of the disc is weak or non-existent. These frequencies may be moved outside the frequency range of interest by sufficiently decreasing the duration of the load. If there are problematic frequencies within this range, the results of parametric identification become more accurate than those of non-parametric identification. Parametric results from experimental tests with loads having different amplitudes and durations agree well with each other in accord with the assumed linearity of the tested polypropylene material.