This is a collection of selected reviewed papers that were presented at the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics Symposium 'Mechanical Waves for Composite Structures Characterization', on June 14-17, 2000, in Chania, Crete, Greece. As the symposium theme is interdisciplinary in nature, topics covered in the book fall within diverse fields such as applied mathematics, applied physics, biomedical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, fluid and solid mechanics, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, and seismology. T he papers cover analytical, computational, numerical, theoretical, and experimental aspects, from state-of-the-art fundamental research to applied research and applications in emerging technologies. The topics include body waves, elastic waves, guided waves, inhomogeneous waves, rays, surface waves, and ultrasound in composite materials which are fiber-reinforced, laminated, or homogeneous containing bonds, coatings, cracks, defects, or thin films. The material interfaces are either flat or non-planar and wave motion exists either by itself or superposed on a pre-existing state of stress.