The Classification of Cracks Recorded during the Cyclic Loading of the Reinforced Concrete Beam by Acoustic Emission Method

Non-destructive testing is a process of inspecting, testing, and evaluating materials, components or assemblies for discontinuities, or differences in characteristics without destroying the serviceability of a system or its part. The acoustic non-destructive methods are concerned with the state-of-the-art situation in the field of experimental studies of the physical properties of engineering materials. In this paper, the acoustic emission method was used for classification of cracks recorded during the cyclic loading of the reinforced concrete beam. Acoustic emission is a phenomenon of stress wave radiation caused by the dynamic reconstruction of material’s structure that accompanies processes of deformation and fracture. Crack propagation is one of the macroscopic sources of acoustic emission. Acoustic emission signals generated by different loading patterns can provide valuable information concerning the structural integrity of a material. Load levels that have been previously exerted on a material do not produce acoustic emission activity.