Correlation of Acoustic Emissions with Electrical Signals in the Vicinity of Fracture in Cement Mortars Subjected to Uniaxial Compressive Loading

Acoustic emissions (AEs) and weak electrical signals, also known as pressure stimulated currents (PSCs), were concurrently recorded in order to investigate their behavior detect precursory indicators when cement mortar specimens subjected mechanical compressive loading, emphasizing the of AEs PSC signal vicinity fracture. The axial loading protocol incorporated a constantly increasing stress, from early stress values up fracture sequential stabilization until time specimen collapses, due severe growing internal damages. Concurrent recordings acoustic performed. AE analyzed, by incorporating recently introduced F- P-functions, well-known b-value. experimental results highlight strong similarities regarding variations signal, hits occurrence rate (F-function), energy release (P-function). above was confirmed with another similar experiment an identical specimen. It is noteworthy that, during stay under constant load regime near strength levels, peak appears quantities, which directly related increased deformation. temporal evolution b-values presented. Results show that local minima appearing at close b ≈ 1.0 correspond maxima signal. straightforwardly concluded both data are combined, they provide clear pre-failure indicators.