This International Standard describes the general principles of acoustic emission testing (AT) of
materials, components, and structures made of fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) with the aim of
— materials characterization,
— proof testing and manufacturing quality control,
— retesting and in-service testing, and
— health monitoring.
This International Standard has been designed to describe specific methodology to assess the integrity
of fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP), components, or structures or to identify critical zones of high
damage accumulation or damage growth under load (e.g. suitable instrumentation, typical sensor
arrangements, and location procedures).
It also describes available, generally applicable evaluation criteria for AT of FRP and outlines procedures
for establishing such evaluation criteria in case they are lacking.
This International Standard also presents formats for the presentation of acoustic emission test data
that allows the application of qualitative evaluation criteria, both online during testing and by post-test
analysis, and that simplify comparison of acoustic emission test results obtained from different test
sites and organizations.
NOTE The structural significance of the acoustic emission cannot in all cases definitely be assessed based on
AT evaluation criteria only but can require further testing and assessment (e.g. with other non-destructive test
methods or fracture mechanics calculations).