APPLICATIONS OF ACOUSTIC EMISSION TECHNIQUES TO ROCK AND ROCK STRUCTURES: A STATE-OF-THE-ART REVIEW

This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of the subject of acoustic emission as it pertains to the area of rock mechanics, and includes references to some 150 recent papers. Although a limited discussion of laboratory oriented studies are included, the major thrust of the paper is to field applications in geotechnical engineering. The paper first discusses the general concepts involved in the acoustic emission technique and briefly reviews the early history of the subject. This is followed by a general discussion of techniques currently in use for monitoring and analysis of acoustic emission data, and a description of a number of recent and on-going field studies where acoustic emission techniques are being employed in the general area of geotechnical engineering. Finally, the paper considers the various limitations of the technique as well as areas where further research and development are considered necessary. (Author)