Michal Matysík

Applying Method of Acoustic Emission for Monitoring of Different Concrete Mixture during Setting and Hardening

Non Destructive Testing is a powerful tool for determination of properties, durability and lifetime of concrete structures. Acoustic Emission Method is an unusual technique which describes only active defects or changes into structure arising as a consequence dangerous tension into structure. The method is appropriate to be used in homogenous structures as metal structures when cracks are highly active (generates sound). Its application in civil engineering is not so much used because building structures are inhomogeneous. This article shows possible application of Acoustic Emission Method for monitoring of concrete structure changes during its lifetime. The main aim of the article is to show the application of Acoustic Emission Method during the early age to 28 days after mixing. It is believed that early age of concrete structure is very important for its quality. Common concrete cube specimens have been tested after the production by Acoustic Emission Method with using waveguides. The results of acoustic emission method will be compared to classical parameters of fresh concrete e.g. the value water-cement ratio, air void content measured by different methods (pressure methods, AVA) and similar. In the results will be compared four mixtures when two mixtures were aerated and two mixtures were without aeration.

The Effect of Concrete Quality on the Acoustic Emission Parameters during Three-Point Bending Fracture Test

Acoustic emission is an experimental tool well suited for monitoring fracture processes. The paper presents experiment focused on analysing acoustic emission signals captured during three-point bending fracture test of specimens of concrete. Quantitative acoustic emission techniques were used to measure micro fracture properties. For three different concrete mixtures typical acoustic emission patterns were identified in the acoustic emission records to further describe the under-the-stress behaviour and failure development. If we have a better understanding of the relationships between micro structural events and macroscopic behaviour we can better formulate predictive models for large-scale structural performance and reliability. An understanding of microstructureperformance relationships is the key to true understanding of material behaviours. Three-point bending fracture tests were conducted on these specimens and load versus crack mouth opening displacement (Load-CMOD) diagrams were recorded during the testing.

Nonlinear Acoustic Spectroscopy Method for Nondestructive Testing of Thermally Damaged Concrete

Most concrete structures are subjected to a range of temperature corresponding to normal environmental temperatures. However, there are important cases where concrete structures may be exposed to much higher temperatures (e.g., jet aircraft engine blasts, building fires, chemical and metallurgical industrial applications in which the concrete is in close proximity to furnaces, and some nuclear power-related postulated accident conditions). Exposure of concrete to high temperatures affects its mechanical properties. In this paper we examine the dependence of the fundamental frequency on temperature to which the concrete beams were heated. Fundamental frequencies were obtained by an innovative method used Pseudorandom Binary Sequence of Maximum Length as a perturbation signal. For the verification of the results the Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity in concrete were also measured and flexural bending strengths were determined. The results show method with Pseudorandom Binary Sequence of Maximum Length as a perturbation signal as a very promising for non-destructive testing of thermally damaged concrete.

Comparison of Ultrasonic Methods for Thermally Damaged Concrete Nondestructive Testing

Behaviour of concrete under elevated temperatures is very complex. There is a change of mechanical and physical parameters with temperature. In this paper we study the relations of thermal damage processes in concrete and parameters obtained by different ultrasonic methods. The concrete specimens were heated in programmable laboratory furnace. Selected temperature (200°C, 400°C, 600°C, 800°C, 1000°C and 1200°C) were maintained for 60 minutes. The first ultrasonic measurement technique in this paper was Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity method. The pulse velocity in a concrete depends on its density and its elastic properties. Therefore, it is possible to deduce the quality and the compressive strength of the concrete from the ultrasonic pulse velocity. The second ultrasonic measurement technique in this paper uses broadband pulse-compression signal, with variable amplitude to measure the change of fundamental frequency. This method is based on Nonlinear Elastic Wave Spectroscopy. Nonlinear Elastic Wave Spectroscopy methods takes advantage of the fact, that nonlinearities in material manifest themselves as a resonant frequency shifts and harmonics or dumping coefficients changes. The progress of nondestructive testing parameters was confirmed by results from the destructive tests.

Evaluation of Three-Point Bending Fracture Tests of Selected Concrete: Crack Initiation and Acoustic Emission Parameters

In this paper, authors concentrate attention on crack initiation and acoustic emission (AE) parameters obtained from records of three-point bending fracture tests on eight sets of concrete specimens with initial stress concentrator at the age of 28 days. Resistance to stable and unstable crack propagation was quantified via evaluation of load vs crack mouth opening displacement diagrams using Double-K fracture model. The AE technique was used to monitor damage process taking place during testing in specimens.

Concrete Carbonation Monitoring by Nonlinear Ultrasonic Spectroscopy

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the possibility of using the nonlinear ultrasonic spectroscopy with a single exciting harmonic frequency for concrete carbonation monitoring. Carbonation of concrete is related with the corrosion of steel reinforcement and with carbonation shrinkage. Due to the conditions in the laboratory were as close as possible to practical terms, we used reinforced concrete samples. For the research, the concrete beams with one standard reinforcing bar passing through the centre of the sample were made. Prepared samples were exposed to an atmosphere with increased carbon dioxide content. The measurements using the nonlinear ultrasonic spectroscopy with a single exciting harmonic frequency were realized before and after carbonation of concrete.