Detection of Initial Yield and Onset of Failure in Bonded Posttensioned Concrete Beams

Abstract

This paper discusses monitoring of bonded posttensioned (PT) concrete elements using the acoustic emission technique. In particular, a statistical pattern recognition technique based on a multivariate outlier analysis is presented to identify initial yielding and the onset of failure. Experimental tests on large-scale single-tendon bonded PT concrete beams, subjected to multiple load cycles, will be presented to validate the proposed monitoring system.