Structural Health Monitoring of Large Structures Using Acoustic Emission–Case Histories

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Acoustics and Vibrations".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2019) | Viewed by 60962

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Special Issue Editors

iTi Laboratory, Department of Civil & Earth Resources Engineerg, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8540, Japan
Interests: civil engineering materials; assessment of deterioration; NDT; sensors; AE; UT; FOS; tomography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Materials Engineering, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuve, Belgium
Interests: materials engineering; quality assurance engineering; mechanical engineering
Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
Interests: materials engineering; mechanical engineering; acoustic emission

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Acoustic emission (AE) techniques have successfully been used for assuring the structural integrity of large rocket motorcases since 1963 [1], and their uses have been expanded to ever larger structures [2], especially since the structural health monitoring (SHM) of large structures has become the most urgent task for engineering communities globally. The needs for advanced methods of AE monitoring are felt keenly by those dealing with aging infrastructures. Many publications have appeared covering various aspects of AE techniques [3], but documentation of actual applications of AE techniques has been limited mostly to reports of successful results without technical details that allow objective evaluation of the results. There are some exceptions in the literature [4–6]. In this Special Issue of the Acoustics section of Applied Sciences, we seek contributions in the same manner as these exceptions cited here. Here, however, we seek contributions describing case histories of AE applications to large structures that have achieved the goals of SHM and do so by giving adequate technical information supporting the success stories. Types of structures can include aerospace and geological structures, bridges, buildings, factories, maritime facilities, off-shore structures, etc. Experiences with AE monitoring methods designed and proven for large structures, including remote sensing methods, are also welcomed.

  1. Green, A.T.; Lockman, C.S.; Steele, R.K. Modern Plastics; Breskin Publications Inc.: New York, NY, USA, 1964; 41, pp 137–139.

  2. Ono, K. Application of acoustic emlssion for structure diagnosis. In Proceedings of the 56th Scientific Conference of Committee for Civil Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Scientific Committee of the Polish Association of Civil Engineers and Technicians, Krynica, Poland, 19–24 September 2010; page 25.

  3. Acoustic emission working group. Available online: www.aewg.org (accessed on 1 September 2017).

  4. MONPAC Technology. Acoustic Emission 1986, 8, 1–34.

  5. Hay, D.R., Cavaco, J.A.; Mustafa, V. Monitoring the civil infrastructure with acoustic emission: bridge case studies. Acoustic Emission 2009, 27, 1–9.

  6. Gorman, M.R. Modal AE analysis of fracture and failure in composite materials, and the quality and life of high pressure composite pressure vessels. Acoustic Emission 2011, 29, 1–28.

Prof. Dr. Kanji Ono
Prof. Dr. Marvin A. Hamstad
Prof. Dr. Tomoki Shiotani
Prof. Dr. Martine Wevers
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Acoustic Emission

  • Structural Health Monitoring

  • Large Structures

  • Case Histories

Published Papers (15 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 156 KiB  
Editorial
Structural Health Monitoring of Large Structures Using Acoustic Emission–Case Histories
by Kanji Ono
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(21), 4602; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9214602 - 29 Oct 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2057
Abstract
Acoustic emission (AE) techniques have successfully been used for assuring the structural integrity of large rocket motorcases since 1963 [...] Full article

Research

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16 pages, 1906 KiB  
Article
Transverse Vibration of Clamped-Pinned-Free Beam with Mass at Free End
by Jonathan Hong, Jacob Dodson, Simon Laflamme and Austin Downey
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(15), 2996; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9152996 - 26 Jul 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4129
Abstract
Engineering systems undergoing extreme and harsh environments can often times experience rapid damaging effects. In order to minimize loss of economic investment and human lives, structural health monitoring (SHM) of these high-rate systems is being researched. An experimental testbed has been developed to [...] Read more.
Engineering systems undergoing extreme and harsh environments can often times experience rapid damaging effects. In order to minimize loss of economic investment and human lives, structural health monitoring (SHM) of these high-rate systems is being researched. An experimental testbed has been developed to validate SHM methods in a controllable and repeatable laboratory environment. This study applies the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory to this testbed to develop analytical solutions of the system. The transverse vibration of a clamped-pinned-free beam with a point mass at the free end is discussed in detail. Results are derived for varying pin locations and mass values. Eigenvalue plots of the first five modes are presented along with their respective mode shapes. The theoretical calculations are experimentally validated and discussed. Full article
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19 pages, 6363 KiB  
Article
Damage Mechanism Evaluation of Large-Scale Concrete Structures Affected by Alkali-Silica Reaction Using Acoustic Emission
by Vafa Soltangharaei, Rafal Anay, Nolan W. Hayes, Lateef Assi, Yann Le Pape, Zhongguo John Ma and Paul Ziehl
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(11), 2148; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8112148 - 03 Nov 2018
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 3539
Abstract
Alkali-silica reaction has caused damage to concrete structures, endangering structural serviceability and integrity. This is of concern in sensitive structures such as nuclear power plants. In this study, acoustic emission (AE) was employed as a structural health monitoring strategy in large-scale, reinforced concrete [...] Read more.
Alkali-silica reaction has caused damage to concrete structures, endangering structural serviceability and integrity. This is of concern in sensitive structures such as nuclear power plants. In this study, acoustic emission (AE) was employed as a structural health monitoring strategy in large-scale, reinforced concrete specimens affected by alkali-silica reaction with differing boundary conditions resembling the common conditions found in nuclear containments. An agglomerative hierarchical algorithm was utilized to classify the AE data based on energy-frequency based features. The AE signals were transferred into the frequency domain and the energies in several frequency bands were calculated and normalized to the total energy of signals. Principle component analysis was used to reduce feature redundancy. Then the selected principal components were considered as features in an input of the pattern recognition algorithm. The sensor located in the center of the confined specimen registered the largest portion of AE energy release, while in the unconfined specimen the energy is distributed more uniformly. This confirms the results of the volumetric strain, which shows that the expansion in the confined specimen is oriented along the thickness of the specimen. Full article
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28 pages, 14554 KiB  
Article
Remote Monitoring and Evaluation of Damage at a Decommissioned Nuclear Facility Using Acoustic Emission
by Marwa Abdelrahman, Mohamed ElBatanouny, Kenneth Dixon, Michael Serrato and Paul Ziehl
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(9), 1663; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8091663 - 14 Sep 2018
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3258
Abstract
Reinforced concrete systems used in the construction of nuclear reactor buildings, spent fuel pools, and related nuclear facilities are subject to degradation over time. Corrosion of steel reinforcement and thermal cracking are potential degradation mechanisms that adversely affect durability. Remote monitoring of such [...] Read more.
Reinforced concrete systems used in the construction of nuclear reactor buildings, spent fuel pools, and related nuclear facilities are subject to degradation over time. Corrosion of steel reinforcement and thermal cracking are potential degradation mechanisms that adversely affect durability. Remote monitoring of such degradation can be used to enable informed decision making for facility maintenance operations and projecting remaining service life. Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring has been successfully employed for the detection and evaluation of damage related to cracking and material degradation in laboratory settings. This paper describes the use of AE sensing systems for remote monitoring of active corrosion regions in a decommissioned reactor facility for a period of approximately one year. In parallel, a representative block was cut from a wall at a similar nuclear facility and monitored during an accelerated corrosion test in the laboratory. Electrochemical measurements were recorded periodically during the test to correlate AE activity to quantifiable corrosion measurements. The results of both investigations demonstrate the feasibility of using AE for corrosion damage detection and classification as well as its potential as a remote monitoring technique for structural condition assessment and prognosis of aging structures. Full article
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15 pages, 2281 KiB  
Article
Part Qualification Methodology for Composite Aircraft Components Using Acoustic Emission Monitoring
by Shane Esola, Brian J. Wisner, Prashanth Abraham Vanniamparambil, John Geriguis and Antonios Kontsos
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(9), 1490; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8091490 - 29 Aug 2018
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3854
Abstract
The research presented in this article aims to demonstrate how acoustic emission (AE) monitoring can be implemented in an industrial setting to assist with part qualification, as mandated by related industry standards. The combined structural and nondestructive evaluation method presented departs from the [...] Read more.
The research presented in this article aims to demonstrate how acoustic emission (AE) monitoring can be implemented in an industrial setting to assist with part qualification, as mandated by related industry standards. The combined structural and nondestructive evaluation method presented departs from the traditional pass/fail criteria used for part qualification, and contributes toward a multi-dimensional assessment by taking advantage of AE data recorded during structural testing. To demonstrate the application of this method, 16 composite fixed-wing-aircraft spars were tested using a structural loading sequence designed around a manufacturer-specified design limit load (DLL). Increasing mechanical loads, expressed as a function of DLL were applied in a load-unload-reload pattern so that AE activity trends could be evaluated. In particular, the widely used Felicity ratio (FR) was calculated in conjunction with specific AE data post-processing, which allowed for spar test classification in terms of apparent damage behavior. To support such analysis and to identify damage critical regions in the spars, AE activity location analysis was also employed. Furthermore, recorded AE data were used to perform statistical analysis to demonstrate how AE datasets collected during part qualification could augment testing conclusions by providing additional information as compared to traditional strength testing frequently employed e.g., in the aerospace industry. In this context, AE data post-processing is presented in conjunction with ultimate strength information, and it is generally shown that the incorporation of AE monitoring is justified in such critical part qualification testing procedures. Full article
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10 pages, 3001 KiB  
Article
Multiple Signal Classification-Based Impact Localization in Composite Structures Using Optimized Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition
by Yongteng Zhong, Jiawei Xiang, Xiaoyu Chen, Yongying Jiang and Jihong Pang
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(9), 1447; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8091447 - 24 Aug 2018
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3954
Abstract
Multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm-based structural health monitoring technology is a promising method because of its directional scanning ability and easy arrangement of the sensor array. However, in previous MUSIC-based impact location methods, the narrowband signals at a particular central frequency had to [...] Read more.
Multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm-based structural health monitoring technology is a promising method because of its directional scanning ability and easy arrangement of the sensor array. However, in previous MUSIC-based impact location methods, the narrowband signals at a particular central frequency had to be extracted from the wideband Lamb waves induced by each impact using a wavelet transform. Additionally, the specific center frequency had to be obtained after carefully analyzing the impact signal, which is time consuming. Aiming at solving this problem, this paper presents an improved approach that combines the optimized ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and two-dimensional multiple signal classification (2D-MUSIC) algorithm for real-time impact localization on composite structures. Firstly, the impact signal at an unknown position is obtained using a unified linear sensor array. Secondly, the fast Hilbert Huang transform (HHT) with an optimized EEMD algorithm is introduced to extract intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) from impact signals. Then, all IMFs in the whole frequency domain are directly used as the input vector of the 2D-MUSIC model separately to locate the impact source. Experimental data collected from a cross-ply glass fiber reinforced composite plate are used to validate the proposed approach. The results show that the use of optimized EEMD and 2D-MUSIC is suitable for real-time impact localization of composite structures. Full article
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9 pages, 2855 KiB  
Article
Acoustic Emission/Seismicity at Depth Beneath an Artificial Lake after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake
by Hirokazu Moriya
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(8), 1407; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8081407 - 20 Aug 2018
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2919
Abstract
Acoustic emission (AE)/seismicity activity increased near the city of Sendai, Japan, after the 11 March 2011 Tohoku earthquake in a newly seismically active region near the Nagamachi-Rifu fault, which caused a magnitude 5.0 earthquake in 1998. The source of this activity was around [...] Read more.
Acoustic emission (AE)/seismicity activity increased near the city of Sendai, Japan, after the 11 March 2011 Tohoku earthquake in a newly seismically active region near the Nagamachi-Rifu fault, which caused a magnitude 5.0 earthquake in 1998. The source of this activity was around 12 km beneath an artificial lake. At the same time, activity on the Nagamachi-Rifu fault nearly ceased. More than 1550 micro-earthquakes were observed between 11 March 2011 and 1 August 2012, of which 63% exhibited similar waveforms and defined 64 multiplets. It appears that crustal extension of about 2 m during the Tohoku earthquake and additional extension of about 1 m during the following year changed the stress field in this region, thus generating micro-earthquakes and controlling their frequency. However, it has been presumed that crustal movement during the Tohoku earthquake did not affect the direction of principal stress, and that these events induced repeated quasi-static slips at asperities and the resultant micro-earthquakes. Full article
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20 pages, 11768 KiB  
Article
Acoustic Emission Method for Locating and Identifying Active Destructive Processes in Operating Facilities
by Grzegorz Świt
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(8), 1295; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8081295 - 03 Aug 2018
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4120
Abstract
Durability, safety, and usability are the three foundations of structural reliability, vital in the economic and social context. As the locating and tracking of potential damage and evaluating its impact on the condition of the structure are part of service life assessment, relevant [...] Read more.
Durability, safety, and usability are the three foundations of structural reliability, vital in the economic and social context. As the locating and tracking of potential damage and evaluating its impact on the condition of the structure are part of service life assessment, relevant methods should be developed that would detect the onset of the deterioration process and enable the monitoring of its progress within the entire volume of the structure, not only in the areas selected in a subjective way. The acoustic emission (AE) method relying on the analysis of active destructive processes can be the best choice. This article reports the results of the application of the AE method for identifying active destructive processes and tracking their development during the routine operation of various types of structures. Full article
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26 pages, 16517 KiB  
Article
Acoustic Emission Monitoring of Industrial Facilities under Static and Cyclic Loading
by Sergey V. Elizarov, Vera A. Barat, Denis A. Terentyev, Peter P. Kostenko, Vladimir V. Bardakov, Alexander L. Alyakritsky, Vasiliy G. Koltsov and Pavel N. Trofimov
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(8), 1228; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8081228 - 26 Jul 2018
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4273
Abstract
Acoustic emission (AE) testing is traditionally carried out on non-operating objects. Such requirement is associated both with the Kaiser effect, leading to the necessity for exceeding the test load above the working one and with a high level of noise during object operation. [...] Read more.
Acoustic emission (AE) testing is traditionally carried out on non-operating objects. Such requirement is associated both with the Kaiser effect, leading to the necessity for exceeding the test load above the working one and with a high level of noise during object operation. However, AE testing could be performed under operating conditions, if the AE data acquisition period is increased and a specialized method is developed, which should take account of the effect of various noise, features of the object loading under operating conditions, the effect of damaging factors and possible destruction mechanisms. This paper investigates the possibility to carry out structural health monitoring (SHM) of hydrotreaters, highway bridges, high-temperature pipelines, gas adsorbers, roller bearings of rotary kilns and draglines on the basis of AE method. Architecture of SHM-system and specific data analysis procedures are proposed. Full article
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15 pages, 3584 KiB  
Article
Structural Reliability Prediction Using Acoustic Emission-Based Modeling of Fatigue Crack Growth
by Azadeh Keshtgar, Christine M. Sauerbrunn and Mohammad Modarres
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(8), 1225; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8081225 - 25 Jul 2018
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3403
Abstract
In this paper, AE signals collected during fatigue crack-growth of aluminum and titanium alloys (Al7075-T6 and Ti-6Al-4V) were analyzed and compared. Both the aluminum and titanium alloys used in this study are prevalent materials in aerospace structures, which prompted this current investigation. The [...] Read more.
In this paper, AE signals collected during fatigue crack-growth of aluminum and titanium alloys (Al7075-T6 and Ti-6Al-4V) were analyzed and compared. Both the aluminum and titanium alloys used in this study are prevalent materials in aerospace structures, which prompted this current investigation. The effect of different loading conditions and loading frequencies on a proposed AE-based crack-growth model were studied. The results suggest that the linear model used to relate AE and crack growth is independent of the loading condition and loading frequency. Also, the model initially developed for the aluminum alloy proves to hold true for the titanium alloy while, as expected, the model parameters are material dependent. The model parameters and their distributions were estimated using a Bayesian regression technique. The proposed model was developed and validated based on post processing and Bayesian analysis of experimental data. Full article
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10 pages, 5935 KiB  
Article
Time Series Analysis of Acoustic Emissions in the Asinelli Tower during Local Seismic Activity
by Alberto Carpinteri, Gianni Niccolini and Giuseppe Lacidogna
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(7), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8071012 - 21 Jun 2018
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2569
Abstract
The existence of ongoing damage processes in a masonry wall of the Asinelli Tower in Bologna have been investigated by the acoustic emission (AE) technique. A time correlation between the AE activity in the monitored structural element and the nearby earthquakes has been [...] Read more.
The existence of ongoing damage processes in a masonry wall of the Asinelli Tower in Bologna have been investigated by the acoustic emission (AE) technique. A time correlation between the AE activity in the monitored structural element and the nearby earthquakes has been observed. In particular, the largest cluster of AE signals has been recorded within a few hours after the main shock (4.1 magnitude) occurrence. The presented findings suggest that aging and deterioration of the monitored structural element significantly depend on the action of light earthquakes, even at considerable distance. Trends of two evolutionary parameters, the b-value and the natural time variance κ1, have been derived from the AE time series in order to identify the approach of the monitored structural element to a “critical state” in relation to the earthquake occurrence. Full article
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21 pages, 7360 KiB  
Article
A New Closed-Form Solution for Acoustic Emission Source Location in the Presence of Outliers
by Zilong Zhou, Yichao Rui, Jing Zhou, Longjun Dong, Lianjun Chen, Xin Cai and Ruishan Cheng
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(6), 949; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8060949 - 08 Jun 2018
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3330
Abstract
The accuracy of an acoustic emission (AE) source location is always corrupted by outliers due to the complexity of engineering practice. To this end, a preconditioned closed-form solution based on weight estimation (PCFWE) is proposed in this study. Firstly, nonlinear equations are linearized, [...] Read more.
The accuracy of an acoustic emission (AE) source location is always corrupted by outliers due to the complexity of engineering practice. To this end, a preconditioned closed-form solution based on weight estimation (PCFWE) is proposed in this study. Firstly, nonlinear equations are linearized, and initial source coordinates are obtained by using equal weights. Residuals, which are calculated by source coordinates, are divided into three regions according to normal distribution. Secondly, the weight estimation is developed by establishing the relationship between residuals and weights. Outliers are filtered by the iteration between the weight estimation and source location. Subsequently, linear equations are reconstructed with the remaining measurements containing no outliers, while they are ill-conditioned. Finally, the preconditioning method is applied to weaken the ill condition of the reconstructed linear equations, so as to improve the location accuracy. This new method is verified by a pencil-lead break experiment. Tests results show that the location accuracy and stability of the new method are superior to traditional methods. In addition, outlier tolerance and the velocity sensibility of the new method are investigated by simulating tests. Full article
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

35 pages, 18663 KiB  
Review
Review on In Situ Acoustic Emission Monitoring in the Context of Structural Health Monitoring in Mines
by Gerd Manthei and Katrin Plenkers
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(9), 1595; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8091595 - 09 Sep 2018
Cited by 47 | Viewed by 5886
Abstract
A major task in mines and even more in underground repositories for nuclear waste is to investigate crack formation for evaluation of rock mass integrity of the host rock. Therefore, in situ acoustic emission (AE) monitoring are carried out in mines as part [...] Read more.
A major task in mines and even more in underground repositories for nuclear waste is to investigate crack formation for evaluation of rock mass integrity of the host rock. Therefore, in situ acoustic emission (AE) monitoring are carried out in mines as part of geomechanical investigations regarding the stability of underground cavities and the integrity of the rock mass. In this work, the capability of in situ AE monitoring in the context of structural health monitoring (SHM) in mines and in various geological settings will be reported. SHM pointed out, that the AE network is able to monitoring AE activity in rock with a volume up to 10 6 cubicmeter and distances up to 200 m (e.g., 100 m × 100 m × 100 m) in the frequency range of 1 kHz to 150 kHz. Very small AE events with source size in approximately centimeter to millimeter scale are detected. The results show that AE activity monitors rock deformation in geological boundaries due to convergence of the rock. In addition, high AE activity occurs in zones of dilatancy stress in homogenous rock. In conclusion in situ AE monitoring is a useful tool to observe instabilities in rock long before any damage becomes visible. Full article
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33 pages, 4940 KiB  
Review
Review on Structural Health Evaluation with Acoustic Emission
by Kanji Ono
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(6), 958; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8060958 - 11 Jun 2018
Cited by 71 | Viewed by 6609
Abstract
This review introduces several areas of importance in acoustic emission (AE) technology, starting from signal attenuation. Signal loss is a critical issue in any large-scale AE monitoring, but few systematic studies have appeared. Information on damping and attenuation has been gathered from metal, [...] Read more.
This review introduces several areas of importance in acoustic emission (AE) technology, starting from signal attenuation. Signal loss is a critical issue in any large-scale AE monitoring, but few systematic studies have appeared. Information on damping and attenuation has been gathered from metal, polymer, and composite fields to provide a useful method for AE monitoring. This is followed by discussion on source location, bridge monitoring, sensing and signal processing, and pressure vessels and tanks, then special applications are briefly covered. Here, useful information and valuable sources are identified with short comments indicating their significance. It is hoped that readers note developments in areas outside of their own specialty for possible cross-fertilization. Full article
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20 pages, 7562 KiB  
Review
Evaluation of Low-Temperature Cracking Performance of Asphalt Pavements Using Acoustic Emission: A Review
by Behzad Behnia, William Buttlar and Henrique Reis
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(2), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8020306 - 21 Feb 2018
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 7048
Abstract
Low-temperature cracking is a major form of distress that can compromise the structural integrity of asphalt pavements located in cold regions. A review of an Acoustic Emission (AE)-based approach is presented that is capable of assessing the low-temperature cracking performance of asphalt binders [...] Read more.
Low-temperature cracking is a major form of distress that can compromise the structural integrity of asphalt pavements located in cold regions. A review of an Acoustic Emission (AE)-based approach is presented that is capable of assessing the low-temperature cracking performance of asphalt binders and asphalt pavement materials through determining their embrittlement temperatures. A review of the background and fundamental aspects of the AE-based approach with a brief overview of its application to estimate low-temperature performance of unaged, short-term, and long-term aged binders, as well as asphalt materials, is presented. The application of asphalt pavements containing recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) materials to thermal cracking assessment is also presented and discussed. Using the Felicity effect, the approach is capable of evaluating the self-healing characteristics of asphalt pavements and the effect of cooling cycles upon their fracture behavior. Using an iterative AE source location technique, the approach is also used to evaluate the efficiency of rejuvenators, which can restore aged asphalt pavements to their original crack-resistant state. Results indicate that AE allows for relatively rapid and inexpensive characterization of pavement materials and can be used towards enhancing pavement sustainability and resiliency to thermal loading. Full article
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