Elastic conditioning, memory and relaxation induced by the presence of cracks in concrete

摘要

The presence of damage or cracks modifies the elastic properties of a sample, introducing nonlinear components in the elastic response to an ultrasonic excitation. Among other effects, we discuss here conditioning and memory, i.e. the transition of the sample to a new (non equilibrium) elastic state when perturbed by a strain, even at a relatively low amplitude. A quantification of these phenomena can be the basis for a novel Nondestructive Method to evaluate the integrity of a structural or mechanical component.