Micromechanical Behavior of Granular Soils Characterized by Acoustic Emission

Abstract The study of failure mechanisms from a microperspective demands comprehensive understanding the initiation and evolution shear banding within granular materials. However, this topic is not fully understood due to technical constraints in continuous quantification degree visualization particle interactions soil specimens their inherent opacity. This paper reports possibility acoustic emission (AE) technique characterizing micromechanical behavior saturated coral sands subjected drained triaxial shearing. Results show that sand less emissive than silica sands, while its AE rate forms concrete mathematic relations with mechanical parameters, which agrees those revealed for sands. allows parameters are difficult be assessed field back-evaluated by measuring. traced source locations confirm spatiotemporal correspondence photographed appearance deformed specimens, complex process, regarding evolution, traced. Three precursors observed before complete considered resulting structural variation affects propagation AEs, hence could used as indicators early warning soil’s instability.