AE monitoring of the fracture behavior of mortar specimens modified with waterproofing adhesives

Nowadays, the use of adhesives in building materials for enhancing the mechanical properties and the final performance at the maximum level is standard practice. Moreover, the interest of the construction industry for extensively testing the effectiveness of the new modified products is increased. This study aims to examine the fracture behavior of mortar specimens modified with waterproofing adhesives using acoustic emission (AE). For the mortar beams' production, the portion of active mix water has been changed with the use of different kinds of emulsion resins for investigating the waterproofing mechanism at final usage. For this, the slurries that have been examined are commonly used at the construction of swimming pools. The specimens were tested in three-point bending and compression. The ultrasonic velocity of the samples was also determined. The results indicate that the use of adhesives in mortars can be successfully characterized by AE and ultrasonic parameters, making elastic wave nondestructive evaluation a valuable tool in the growing sector of building materials using adhesives.

Automated summary

This study examines the fracture behavior of mortar specimens modified with waterproofing adhesives using acoustic emission (AE). The results suggest that the use of adhesives in mortars can be successfully characterized by AE and ultrasonic parameters, indicating the value of elastic wave nondestructive evaluation in the building materials sector.