Deep Learning-Based Acoustic Emission Signal Filtration Model in Reinforced Concrete

Abstract Acoustic emission is a nondestructive testing (NDT) technique, widely used to monitor the condition of structures for safety reasons especially in real time. The method utilizes the electrical signals generated by the elastic waves in a material under load to detect and locate damage in structures. However, identifying the sources of AE signals in concrete or composite materials can be challenging due to the anisotropic properties of materials and interpreting a large amount of AE data, leading to data misinterpretation and inaccurate detection of damage. Hence, the need for filtering out noise-induced signals from recorded data and emphasizing the actual AE source is crucial for monitoring and source localization of damage in real time. This study proposed a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) deep learning approach to filter around 22,000 AE data in a reinforced concrete (RC) beam. The model utilizes significant AE parameters identified through neighborhood component analysis (NCA) to classify true AE signals from noise-induced signals. By using the optimized network parameters, a high classification accuracy of 97% and 96.29% was achieved during the training and testing phases, respectively. To check the reliability of the proposed AE filtering model in the real world, it was evaluated and verified using source location AE activities collected during a four-point bending test on a shear-deficient beam. The outcomes suggest that the proposed AE filtration model has the potential to accurately classify AE signals with an accuracy of 92.8% and proved that the filtration model provides accurate and valuable insight into source location determination.