Crack growth under three-point beam bending and fracture energy estimation for snow in relation to acoustic emission responses

Abstract The non-invasive monitoring of crack initiation and growth processes within snow, a poro-composite matrix, could be useful to predict the structural failure of a composite material. Present work is a new approach utilizing the non-invasive technique of acoustic emission (AE) to study the ongoing cracking and failures processes within snow beams which is difficult to visualize in real time. The progressive crack growth within the beams of snow followed by their failures is studied under three point beam bending in relation to AE. In this work, AE detection platform is developed and implemented for non-contact detection of acoustic emissions generated within a beam with the help of specialized needle-type AE waveguides in conjunction to wideband AE acquisition system. The AEs are detected for entire course of bending, crack nucleation, crack growth and rupture of the beams, both under static and dynamic load conditions. The crack initiation and growth in snow beams were generated without any predefined notch on its surface in a controlled and perceptible manner, particularly at low deformation rates (