Mechanical behavior and health monitoring by Acoustic Emission of unidirectional and cross-ply laminates integrated by piezoelectric implant

Recent progress in sensor technologies, signal processing and electronics has made it possible to fulfill the need for the development of in-service structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. This study presents a health monitoring of composite materials integrated by piezoelectric sensor using Acoustic Emission (AE) technique. A series of specimens of composite laminates with and without piezoelectric implant were subject to three-point bending in static and creep tests while continuously monitoring the response by the AE technique. The analysis and observation of AE signals lead to the identification of the acoustic signatures of damage mechanisms in composite laminates. The mechanical behavior of composites with and without integrated sensor shows no difference in the form. The incorporation of piezoelectric sensor influences specially the fracture load and causes low degradation of mechanical properties of materials. One of the major differences between the two types of materials (with and without embedded sensor) is the intense acoustic activity in the integrated material.