Damage evaluation and failure mechanism analysis of axially compressed circular concrete-filled steel tubular column via AE monitoring

Concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns are frequently used as the main load-bearing components in engineering structures due to their excellent load-bearing capacity. However, the presence of steel tube makes it impossible to accurately detect the damage characteristics of concrete by only relying on traditional mechanical measurement methods. This article quantitatively investigates the concrete damage of circular CFST column during axial compression based on the acoustic emission (AE) technique. Through the cumulative AE parameters including amplitude, count, and energy, the axial compression process of the CFST column can be divided into five main stages (Stage I is divided into two substages) to represent the different damage degree. The damage characteristics of concrete at each stage were explained by combining AE results and mechanical phenomena. A sensitivity analysis of the axial compression process was carried out using the Historic Index (HI) and Severity (Sr) and found that the sudden rise in HI and Sr corresponded to the changes in the different loading stages. The Improved b (Ib) value analysis calculated from the AE amplitudes reflects the evolution mechanism of the crack and can be used for the identification of the final failure moment of the specimen. Finally, a new method for processing and analyzing AE parameters was proposed, which effectively enhanced the dimensionality of real-time monitoring information on the damage of concrete filled in the steel tube.