Recent experimental results showing the pulse width independence and the flat topped shape of static displacement generated during finite amplitude sinusoidal ultrasonic tone burst propagation in solids and the contradicting previous results reported in the literature are considered. The pulse width independence is analytically confirmed and the flat topped shape is explained by considering the progressive spatial and time domain shapes of the static strain and displacement pulses. A numerical simulation of the finite amplitude longitudinal ultrasonic wave propagation in solids has been performed to further verify the pulse width independence of the static displacement pulse. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.