9522726 Lee An integrated analytical and experimental study is planned to examine a new nondestructive testing capability for carbon fiber cement composites (CFCC) based on recent experimental observations that electrical responses such as the electrical emission or the change in the bulk electrical resistivity can be related to the flaw generation and growth in some materials. Carbon micro-fibers are added to concrete to increase the bulk conductivity of the concrete by forming an intricate network of fibers as an electrical "tag" as well as to improve the structural performance. The primary objective of the proposed study s two-fold: (1) to better understand and explain the fundamental mechanisms associated with the electrical fracto-emission and bulk resistivity change in CFCC, and (2) to establish and validate the experimental data and underlying theoretical basis for the nondestructive testing capability which needs to be responsive to the unique structural characteristics of CFCC.
