A Study on the Fracture of Cementitious Materials in Terms of the Rate of Acoustic Emissions in the Natural Time Domain

A novel approach for describing the acoustic activity in brittle structural materials while they are loaded mechanically at levels close to those causing macroscopic fracture is proposed. It based on analysis of rate emissions terms Natural Time concept. Experimental data from protocols with either intact or notched beams, made cementitious materials, subjected three-point bending analyzed. concluded that case described aid F-function domain, its evolution governed by a power law, independently geometrical details and type loading scheme. appears onset validity this law provides an interesting pre-failure indicator.