Automatic detection and assessment of crack development in ultra-high performance concrete in the spatial and Fourier domains

Automatic detection and assessment of surface cracks are beneficial for understanding the mechanical performance of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). This study detects crack evolution using a novel dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) method. In this method, the sparse matrix ‘determined’ from images is used to reconstruct the foreground that contains cracks, and the global threshold method is adopted to extract the crack patterns. The application of the DMD method to the three-point bending test demonstrates the efficiency in inspecting cracks with high accuracy. Accordingly, the geometric features, including the area and its projection in two major directions, are evaluated over time. The relationship between the geometric properties of cracks and load-displacement curves of UHPC is discussed. Due to the irregular shape of cracks in the spatial domain, the cracks are then transformed into the Fourier domain to assess their development. Results indicate that crack patterns in the Fourier domain exhibit a distinct concentration around a central position. Moreover, the power spectral density of cracks exhibits an increasing trend over time. The investigation into crack evolution in both the spatial and Fourier domains contributes significantly to elucidating the mechanical behavior of UHPC.