  In this paper anisotropic and dispersive wave propagation within linear
strain-gradient elasticity is investigated. This analysis reveals significant
features of this extended theory of continuum elasticity. First, and contrarily
to classical elasticity, wave propagation in hexagonal (chiral or achiral)
lattices becomes anisotropic as the frequency increases. Second, since
strain-gradient elasticity is dispersive, group and energy velocities have to
be treated as different quantities. These points are first theoretically
derived, and then numerically experienced on hexagonal chiral and achiral
lattices. The use of a continuum model for the description of the high
frequency behavior of these microstructured materials can be of great interest
in engineering applications, allowing problems with complex geometries to be
more easily treated.
