Acoustic emission for monitoring of fracture in cementitious sandwich panels and fresh concrete

Acoustic emission (AE) is commonly utilized for the characterization of the damage condition of construction materials and structures.The damage mechanisms generate elastic signals with unique characteristics that enable their identification, a phenomenon observed across various fields like cementitious materials, masonry, polymer composites, and metals.Additionally, AE's sensitivity allows for the detection of indicators even prior to visible signs of damage, thereby providing early data for structural health monitoring.Recent findings have demonstrated that early AE parameters are correlated to the original strain field, enabling projections regarding the final dominant damage or fracture mode.This capability enhances real-time evaluations of material conditions before the load-bearing capacity is compromised and holds promise for in-situ applications.This study emphasizes emerging trends that illustrate the potential of integrating AE with other techniques to effectively monitor and predict the behavior of structural materials.Examples are taken from the complicated behavior of lightweight fiber-reinforced cementitious sandwich panels during bending, as well as fresh concrete curing with a plethora of mechanisms including shrinkage cracking.