Acoustic emission-based analysis of damage mechanisms in steel fibre reinforced concrete under monotonic and cyclic loading

This paper presents the experimental study of monotonic and cyclic behaviour of steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC), based on Acoustic Emission (AE) monitoring. Two research scales, namely fibre pull-out tests and bending tests on SFRC, are subjected to monotonic and cyclic loading, combined with AE measurements. In general, the use of non-destructive testing methods leads to a better understanding of the material’s behaviour, compared to traditional test setups. The different stages during pull-out and bending, and the corresponding energy dissipation mechanisms, are detected by AE activity and the occurring damage can be localised. Furthermore, upscaling of AE monitoring detects the propagation of damage and its failure modes. It is shown that AE activity, displacement rate and failure mode are linked to fatigue behaviour of SFRC.