Quantitative Evaluation of the Relationship between Tensile Crack and Shear Movement in Concrete Beams

Abstract

This paper investigates the use of acoustic emission (AE) to identify tensile cracks and shear movements in concrete structures. The analysis of AE signals detected during a concrete beam investigation mainly focused on the relationship between signal parameters namely rise time, amplitude, duration and counts. This method allowed crack classification and shear movements to be identified. A laboratory experiment test was completed on a reinforced concrete beam (150 x 250 x 1900 mm). During testing AE data was captured and analysed post-test. Results from the most severely damaged zone, based on visual inspection, was analysed. The results indicated that tensile cracks developed though out the area of analysis, as confirmed by visual observation and relatively little shear movement occurred as would be expected in a reinforced beam.