1 - Damage evaluation in concrete materials by acoustic emission

Abstract

For detailed inspections of concrete structures, core samples are often drilled out and then mechanical properties of the concrete are measured. In this chapter, damage estimation for concrete materials by the compression test of core samples by applying acoustic emission (AE) measurement and the scalar damage parameter in damage mechanics is introduced. The procedure is named DeCAT (damage estimation of concrete by acoustic emission technique), which is based on estimating the intact modulus of elasticity in concrete. AE behavior of the concrete core under compression is analyzed by rate-process analysis, and mechanical behavior is approximated by the Loland model. Then, quantitative damage of the core concrete is evaluated as the relative damage by applying DeCAT.