Monitoring the flexural performance ofGFRPrepaired corroded reinforced concrete beams using passive acoustic emission technique

The focus of the research is to evaluate the flexural behavior and performance of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) repaired reinforced concrete (RC) beams corroded to different levels using acoustic emission (AE) techniques. A significant improvement in the flexural characteristics of the GFRP repaired corroded beams is observed with a change in failure mode from brittle to ductile. The benefits of GFRP repair in corroded RC beams are further clearly demonstrated by AE monitoring parameters of cumulative AE hits and their amplitudes. A significant improvement in the number of AE hits and the reappearance of AE cracking phases after repair of corroded beams indicate the efficiency of AE technique to monitor repaired structures also. A pictorial representation of the development of microcracks beneath the surface of concrete and GFRP to the formation of macrocracks is well demonstrated in an AE event plot. The assessment of local damage in RC beams using AE techniques subjected to simultaneous loading and corrosion and their further repair would facilitate in-situ nondestructive evaluation of actual RC structures in future for detecting damage beneath the surface even after FRP repair.