Acoustic emission activities and damage evaluation of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with CFRP sheets

In this study, the applicability of acoustic emission (AE) techniques to monitor damage evolution in reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened in flexure with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets is investigated. The objective is to initiate the creation of a user-friendly health monitoring system for RC structures strengthened with CFRP sheets using AE techniques. Five beams, 200 mm×300 mm in cross-section, were tested under three-point bending over a span of 1700 mm. One of the beams was tested in its virgin condition to serve as reference; the remaining four beams were tested after being strengthened with CFRP sheets bonded on the tension face. The parameters investigated in this study include both the amount of CFRP sheets and construction imperfections (the CFRP sheets were intentionally bonded without adhesive in the centermost 10% and 20% bonding area). The AE signals were collected and analyzed for all specimens. The AE parameters were analyzed for four levels of damage based on initial crack, propagation, yielding of main bars, and fracture or rip-off of the CFRP sheets. The frequency-peak magnitude distribution of the AE parameters was used to determine the b-value, defined by the Gutenberg-Richter relationship, for evaluating the damage evolution and fracture process of RC beams strengthened in flexure with CFRP sheets. From the results of this study, the signal characteristics - event, amplitude versus frequency, and amplitude versus duration - show clear differences in the different loading stages, depending upon the active damage mechanism. The b-value is correlated to the fracture process of the RC beams bonded with CFRP sheets and the degree of localization of damage. The AE technique is a useful nondestructive technique for monitoring the behavior of RC beams that are externally reinforced in flexure with CFRP sheets.