Influence of Fiber Content on Acoustic Emission Characteristics Related to Steel Fiber–Reinforced Concrete Subjected to Unconfined Uniaxial Compression

Abstract

This article reports the experimental study of the influence of the fiber volume content in steel fiber–reinforced concrete (SFRC) on the acoustic emission (AE) characteristics. Plain concrete and SFRC specimens with various steel fiber contents were tested under unconfined uniaxial compression in the laboratory. Both AE testing and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) methods were used to study the fracture process in the specimens. During the fracture process, the generated AE and axial compressive strain were recorded. The differences in AE characteristics of plain concrete and SFRC specimens were discussed. An absence of a considerable amount of AE for a certain period was observed (silent period of AE) near the peak load for SFRC specimens. The AE-based b-value suddenly decreased near the peak load during the fracture process in plain concrete. However, in the case of SFRC specimens, a sudden decrease near the peak load was not observed, and the b-value decreased gradually until failure, at which point it attained its minimum value. More AE related to shear cracking was observed in the case of SFRC specimens. This was due to interlocking between steel fibers, cement matrix, and coarse aggregates. AE testing is useful for studying the material characterization of SFRC, and is beneficial for assessing damage in structures constructed with SFRC.