Abstract
Phenomena occurring during the curing of concrete can decrease its mechanical properties, specifically strength, and serviceability, even before it is placed. This is due to excessive stresses caused by temperature gradients, moisture changes, and chemical processes arising during the concreting and in hardened concrete. At stress concentration sites, microcracks form in the interfacial transition zones (ITZ) in the early phase and propagate deeper into the cement paste or to the surface of the element. Microcracks can contribute to the development of larger cracks, reduce the durability of structures, limit their serviceability, and, in rare cases, lead to their failure. It is thus important to search for a tool that allows objective assessment of damage initiation and development in concrete. Objectivity of the assessment lies in it being independent of the constituents and additives used in the concrete or of external influences. The acoustic emission-based method presented in this paper allows damage detection and identification in the early age concrete (before loading) for different concrete compositions, curing conditions, temperature variations, and in reinforced concrete. As such, this method is an objective and effective tool for damage processes detection.
Highlights
All engineering projects encounter a range of challenges associated with the most widely used building material, concrete
The acoustic emission-based method presented in this paper allows damage detection and identification in the early age concrete for different concrete compositions, curing conditions, temperature variations, and in reinforced concrete
In most cases analysis of non-loaded concrete is based on ring-down counting, which involves counting how many times the amplitude passes the fixed threshold or event-counting corresponding to number of acoustic emission (AE) waves recorded by a single sensor [41]
Summary
All engineering projects encounter a range of challenges associated with the most widely used building material, concrete. In most cases analysis of non-loaded concrete is based on ring-down counting, which involves counting how many times the amplitude passes the fixed threshold or event-counting corresponding to number of AE waves recorded by a single sensor [41] In these cases, acoustic emission signals the damage (crack formation) without being able to identify the underlying processes. The study presented in this paper demonstrates that this method is of a general nature and allows observation and identification of destruction processes regardless of the aggregate used, cement types, admixtures added, hardening conditions, temperature, or the presence of reinforcement It enables quantitative assessment of destructive processes, which can be important when assessing the strength properties of concrete. The method can be applied to diagnosing elements made of reinforced concrete, controlling the concrete hardening stage, and supporting decision making (e.g., related to demolding), thereby ensuring the reliability of the structure
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