Assessment of the technical state of large size steel structures under cyclic load with the acoustic emission method IADP

In this paper, a global monitoring system based on the measurement of acoustic emission (AE) due to active deterioration processes within steel structures is presented. This allows one to locate and identify deterioration processes (initiation and development of cracks) under cyclic load for large size structures as bridges, gantries, etc. The resulting data can be used to locate damage zones that are dangerous for construction, to assess the general condition of the structure and to serve for structural health monitoring.