The acoustic emission (AE) method as a passive non-destructive monitoring technique is proposed for real-time monitoring of mechanical degradation in underground structures, such as deep geological disposal of high-level nuclear waste (HLW). This study investigates the low-frequency characteristics of AE signals emitted during the fracturing of meter-scale concrete specimens; uniaxial compression tests (UCT) in a lab scale and Goodman jack (GJ) tests in a 1.3 m-long concrete block were conducted while acquiring the AE signals using low-frequency AE sensors. The results indicate a sharp increase in AE energy emission at approximately 60% and 80% of the yield stresses in the UCT and GJ tests, respectively. The collected AE signals were primarily found in two frequency bands: the 4-28 kHz range and the 56-80 kHz range. High-frequency AE signals were captured more as the stress increased in the GJ tests, which was in contrast to the UCT tests. Furthermore, the AE signals obtained from the Goodman jack tests tended to lower RA values than the UCT results. This study presents unique experimental data with low-frequency AE sensors under different loading conditions, which provides insights into field-scale AE monitoring practices.

To evaluate system reliability of a composite structure consisting of more than two structural members, it is necessary to identify that the members are connected to each others in parallel or in serial. Especially for parallel composite system, it is also necessary to confirm that mechanical properties of materials for the members are brittle or ductile. For parallel system of brittle materials, if one part fails, that part cannot resist load anymore and the whole load transfers to the other part. However, for parallel system of perfectly plastic materials, if one part fails, that part can maintain the amount of its maximum load capacity and the remaining load transfers to the other part. In this study, a methodology to determine reliability index for composite structures consisting of quasi-brittle materials. By assuming quasi-brittle materials as brittle or perfectly plastic materials, the upper and lower bounds of the reliability index can be determined. The reliability index for parallel system of quasi-brittle materials is then determined by interpolating the upper and lower bounds indices using ductility number extracted from stress-strain curves of quasi-brittle materials.