Damage pattern recognition for corroded beams strengthened by CFRP anchorage system based on acoustic emission techniques

•Novel approach for damage pattern recognition using acoustic emission clustering analysis in corroded steel beams strengthened with CFRP anchorage systems.•Successful distinction of distinct damage patterns for concrete matrix damage, CFRP-matrix debonding, and CFRP tearing.•Corrosion severity's significant influence on cumulative AE energy and its correlation to specific damage mechanisms.•Valuable insights into damage evolution and failure mechanisms, aiding in more effective rehabilitation strategies for corroded structures. This study presents a damage pattern recognition approach for corroded steel beams strengthened by CFRP anchorage system based on acoustic emission clustering analysis. The proposed method includes four steps: acoustic emission signal acquisition, feature extraction, clustering analysis, and damage pattern recognition. Four corroded beams with different corrosion levels and strengthening schemes were tested under four-point bending loading. The acoustic emission signals were collected during the loading process and analyzed using Gaussian mixture model clustering method. The results showed that the collected AE data were analyzed using clustering analysis, successfully distinguishing the distinct damage patterns associated with each mode. The AE signals exhibited distinct characteristics for different damage modes: concrete matrix damage had high-frequency and low-energy characteristics, CFRP-matrix debonding showed intermediate values for all parameters, and CFRP tearing had longer durations, lower peak frequencies, and high-energy characteristics. Besides, the study identified three stages of the damage process: an initial stage with fewer low-intensity AE signals, a damage development stage characterized by an increase in concrete-matrix damage and CFRP – matrix debonding signals, and a continuous damage growth stage with significant AE signals associated with three damage modes. Furthermore, the degree of corrosion significantly influenced the cumulative AE energy of damage modes. Lower degrees of corrosion led to higher cumulative energy from concrete matrix damage and CFRP-matrix debonding. These findings provide valuable insights for understanding the damage evolution and failure mechanisms of CFRP-strengthened corroded beams. The use of AE techniques for damage pattern recognition can enhance the evaluation and design of CFRP anchorage systems, leading to more effective rehabilitation strategies for corroded structures.