To analyze the crack development characteristics of different reinforcement concrete beams during bending failure, and to explore the acoustic emission characteristics and bending performance degradation of the beams, a four-point bending test was conducted in combination with acoustic emission technology to establish the relationship between the bending failure process and acoustic emission signals of three different concrete beams. The experimental results show that the RA(rise time/maximum amplitude) -AF(average frequency) signals during the damage evolution of concrete beams with different reinforcements have obvious differences, the proportion of shear crack signal RA of reinforced beams, less-reinforced beams, and super-reinforced beams is much higher than the proportion of diagonal crack signal AF. The common characteristics of the amplitude distribution of bending damage at various stages of differently reinforced beams are mainly reflected in the amplitude peaks in the frequency bands 4 ~ 6 kHz, 13.5 ~ 16 kHz, and 53 ~ 57 kHz. When the beam reaches a certain load, the amplitude peaks in the high-frequency band will suddenly rise, indicating the yielding of the internal reinforcement of the beam and the entry of the structure into the failure stage. This can be used as an important basis for monitoring the extent of internal damage to the structure through time-frequency transformation of acoustic emission signals.