Combination of Digital Image Correlation and Acoustic Emission for Characterizing Failure Modes in Strain-Hardening Cement-Based Composites (SHCC)

Abstract

The tensile behavior of strain-hardening cement-based composites (SHCC) is usually investigated on macroscopic scale by means of direct tension tests or bending tests. Additionally, the micromechanical properties of the composites are often described based on single fiber tension and pull-out tests. Such investigations, performed both on macroscopic and microscopic scales, are based on ‘classical’ force and displacement measuring techniques. Advanced test methods such as digital image correlation (DIC) and acoustic emission analysis (AE) may facilitate the identification and the analysis of the failure mechanisms in SHCC, which is important for both monitoring loaded SHCC elements and further material development and optimization. In this study, these two techniques are combined to characterize the failure mechanisms of three different types of SHCC in direct tension tests. The results are related to data of stress and strain measurements. It is shown that DIC provides detailed spatially resolved and stress related strain measurements. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that AE allows for the localization of active cracks, quantification of the damage accumulation under increasing stresses, and characterization of the dominant crack bridging mechanisms and failure modes observed in the different types of SHCC.