• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2024

Reinforced concrete (RC) flat slabs should be designed based on punching shear strength. As part of this study, machine learning (ML) algorithms were developed to accurately predict the punching shear strength of RC flat slabs without shear reinforcement. It is based on Bayesian optimization (BO), combined with four standard algorithms (Support vector regression, Decision trees, Random forests, Extreme gradient boosting) on 446 datasets that contain six design parameters. Furthermore, an analysis of feature importance is carried out by Shapley additive explanation (SHAP), in order to quantify the effect of design parameters on punching shear strength. According to the results, the BO method produces high prediction accuracy by selecting the optimal hyperparameters for each model. With R² = 0.985, MAE = 0.0155 MN, RMSE = 0.0244 MN, the BO-XGBoost model performed better than the original XGBoost prediction, which had R² = 0.917, MAE = 0.064 MN, RMSE = 0.121 MN in total dataset. Additionally, recommendations are provided on how to select factors that will influence punching shear resistance of RC flat slabs without shear reinforcement.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.91 no.2
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• pp.163-175
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• 2024

The objective of this research is to improve public safety in civil engineering by recognizing fractures in concrete structures quickly and correctly. The study offers a new crack detection method based on advanced image processing and machine learning techniques, specifically transfer learning with convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Four pre-trained models (VGG16, AlexNet, ResNet18, and DenseNet161) were fine-tuned to detect fractures in concrete surfaces. These models constantly produced accuracy rates greater than 80%, showing their ability to automate fracture identification and potentially reduce structural failure costs. Furthermore, the study expands its scope beyond crack detection to identify concrete health, using a dataset with a wide range of surface defects and anomalies including cracks. Notably, using VGG16, which was chosen as the most effective network architecture from the first phase, the study achieves excellent accuracy in classifying concrete health, demonstrating the model's satisfactorily performance even in more complex scenarios.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.567-583
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• 2021

The use of waste materials as a binder or aggregate in the concrete mixture is a great step towards sustainability in the construction industry. Waste rubber (WR) can be used as coarse and fine aggregates in concrete and improves the crack resistance, impact resistance, and fatigue life of the produced concrete. However, the mechanical properties of rubberized concrete degrade significantly by replacing the natural aggregate with WR. To have accurate estimations of the mechanical properties of rubberized concrete, two machine learning methods consisting of artificial neural network (ANN) and neuro-fuzzy system (NFS) were served in this study. To do this, a comprehensive dataset was collected from reliable literature, and two scenarios were addressed for the selection of input variables. In the first scenario, the critical ratios of the rubberized concrete and the concrete age were considered as the input variables. In contrast, the mechanical properties of concrete without WR and the percentage of aggregate volume replaced by WR were assumed as the input variables in the second scenario. The results show that the first scenario models outperform the models proposed by the second scenario. Moreover, the developed ANN models are more reliable than the proposed NFS models in most cases.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.1
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• pp.101-111
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• 2022

It is widely known that axially loaded fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) confined concrete presents significant and enhanced mechanical properties with reference to the unconfined concrete. Therefore, to predict the mechanical behavior of FRP-confined concrete two quantities-peak strength and ultimate strain are required. Despite the significant advances, the determination of the ultimate strain of FRP-confined concrete is one of the most challenging problems to be resolved. This is often attributed to our persistence in desiring the conventional methods as the sole technique to examine this phenomenon and the complex nature of the ultimate strain of FRP-confined concrete. To bridge the research gap, this study adopted two machine learning (ML) techniques-artificial neural network (ANN) and Gaussian process regression (GPR)-to analyze observations obtained from 627 datasets of FRP-confined concrete circular and non-circular sections under axial loading test. Besides, the techniques are also used to predict the ultimate strain of FRP-confined concrete. Seven parameters namely width/diameter of the specimens, corner radius ratio, the strength of concrete, FRP elastic modulus, FRP thickness, FRP tensile rupture strain, and the axial strain of unconfined concrete-are the input parameters used to predict the ultimate strain of FRP-confined concrete. The results of the current study highlight the merit of using AI techniques in structural engineering applications given their extraordinary ability to comprehend multidimensional phenomena of FRP-confined concrete structures with ease, low computational cost, and high performance over the existing empirical models.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.247-265
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• 2024

Measuring the fracture toughness of concrete in laboratory settings is challenging due to various factors, such as complex sample preparation procedures, the requirement for precise instruments, potential sample failure, and the brittleness of the samples. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop innovative and more effective tools to overcome these limitations. Supervised learning methods offer promising solutions. This study introduces seven machine learning algorithms for predicting concrete's effective fracture toughness (K-eff). The models were trained using 560 datasets obtained from the central straight notched Brazilian disc (CSNBD) test. The concrete samples used in the experiments contained micro silica and powdered stone, which are commonly used additives in the construction industry. The study considered six input parameters that affect concrete's K-eff, including concrete type, sample diameter, sample thickness, crack length, force, and angle of initial crack. All the algorithms demonstrated high accuracy on both the training and testing datasets, with R² values ranging from 0.9456 to 0.9999 and root mean squared error (RMSE) values ranging from 0.000004 to 0.009287. After evaluating their performance, the gated recurrent unit (GRU) algorithm showed the highest predictive accuracy. The ranking of the applied models, from highest to lowest performance in predicting the K-eff of concrete, was as follows: GRU, LSTM, RNN, SFL, ELM, LSSVM, and GEP. In conclusion, it is recommended to use supervised learning models, specifically GRU, for precise estimation of concrete's K-eff. This approach allows engineers to save significant time and costs associated with the CSNBD test. This research contributes to the field by introducing a reliable tool for accurately predicting the K-eff of concrete, enabling efficient decision-making in various engineering applications.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.327-337
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• 2023

Concrete is the most widely used building material, with various types including high- and ultra-high-strength, reinforced, normal, and lightweight concretes. However, accurately predicting concrete properties is challenging due to the geotechnical design code's requirement for specific characteristics. To overcome this issue, researchers have turned to new technologies like machine learning to develop proper methodologies for concrete specification. In this study, we propose a highly accurate deep learning-based predictive model to investigate the compressive strength (UCS) of lightweight concrete with natural aggregates (pumice). Our model was implemented on a database containing 249 experimental records and revealed that water, cement, water-cement ratio, fine-coarse aggregate, aggregate substitution rate, fine aggregate replacement, and superplasticizer are the most influential covariates on UCS. To validate our model, we trained and tested it on random subsets of the database, and its performance was evaluated using a confusion matrix and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) overall accuracy. The proposed model was compared with widely known machine learning methods such as MLP, SVM, and DT classifiers to assess its capability. In addition, the model was tested on 25 laboratory UCS tests to evaluate its predictability. Our findings showed that the proposed model achieved the highest accuracy (accuracy=0.97, precision=0.97) and the lowest error rate with a high learning rate (R2=0.914), as confirmed by ROC (AUC=0.971), which is higher than other classifiers. Therefore, the proposed method demonstrates a high level of performance and capability for UCS predictions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.109-123
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• 2023

Headed studs welded to steel beams and embedded within the concrete of deck slabs are vital components of modern composite floor systems, where safety and economy depend on the accurate predictions of the stud shear resistance. The multitude of existing deck profiles and the complex behavior of studs in deck slab ribs makes developing accurate and reliable mechanical or empirical design models challenging. The paper addresses this issue by presenting a machine learning (ML) model developed from the natural gradient boosting (NGBoost) algorithm capable of producing probabilistic predictions and a database of 464 push-out tests, which is considerably larger than the databases used for developing existing design models. The proposed model outperforms models based on other ML algorithms and existing descriptive equations, including those in EC4 and AISC 360, while offering probabilistic predictions unavailable from other models and producing higher shear resistances for many cases. The present study also showed that the stud shear resistance is insensitive to the concrete elastic modulus, stud welding type, location of slab reinforcement, and other parameters considered important by existing models. The NGBoost model was interpreted by evaluating the feature importance and dependence determined with the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method. The model was calibrated via reliability analyses in accordance with the Eurocodes to ensure that its predictions meet the required reliability level and facilitate its use in design. An interactive open-source web application was created and deployed to the cloud to allow for convenient and rapid stud shear resistance predictions with the developed model.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.70 no.5
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• pp.639-647
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• 2019

The performance of precast concrete structures is greatly influenced by the behaviour of beam-to-column connections. A single connection may be required to transfer several loads simultaneously so each one of those loads must be considered in the design. A good connection combines practicality and economy, which requires an understanding of several factors; including strength, serviceability, erection and economics. This research work focuses on the performance aspect of a specific type of beam-to-column connection using partly hidden corbel in precast concrete structures. In this study, the results of experimental assessment of the proposed beam-to-column connection in precast concrete frames was used. The purpose of this research is to develop and apply the Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) for moment-rotation prediction of precast beam-to-column connections. The ELM results are compared with genetic programming (GP) and artificial neural network (ANN). The reliability of the computational models was accessed based on simulation results and using several statistical indicators.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.533-539
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• 2023

This study aims to examine four machine learning (ML)-based models for their potential to estimate the splitting tensile strength (STS) of manufactured sand concrete (MSC). The ML models were trained and tested based on 310 experimental data points. Stone nanopowder content (SNPC), curing age (CA), and water-to-cement (W/C) ratio were also studied for their impacts on the STS of MSC. According to the results, the support vector regression (SVR) model had the highest correlation with experimental data. Still, all of the optimized ML models showed promise in estimating the STS of MSC. Both ML and laboratory results showed that MSC with 10% SNPC improved the STS of MSC.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2011

This article employs Least Square Support Vector Machine (LSSVM) for determination of fracture parameters of concrete: critical stress intensity factor ($K_{Ic}^s$) and the critical crack tip opening displacement ($CTOD_c$). LSSVM that is firmly based on the theory of statistical learning theory uses regression technique. The results are compared with a widely used Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Models of LSSVM have been developed for prediction of $K_{Ic}^s$ and $CTOD_c$, and then a sensitivity analysis has been performed to investigate the importance of the input parameters. Equations have been also developed for determination of $K_{Ic}^s$ and $CTOD_c$. The developed LSSVM also gives error bar. The results show that the developed model of LSSVM is very predictable in order to determine fracture parameters of concrete.