Optimal Design of the Cement, Fly Ash, and Slag Mixture in Ternary Blended Concrete Based on Gene Expression Programming and the Genetic Algorithm

Concrete producers and construction companies are interested in improving the sustainability of concrete, including reducing its CO(2) emissions and the costs of materials while maintaining its mechanical properties, workability, and durability. In this study, we propose a simple approach to the optimal design of the fly ash and slag mixture in blended concrete that considers the carbon pricing, material cost, strength, workability, and carbonation durability. Firstly, the carbon pricing and the material cost are calculated based on the concrete mixture and unit prices. The total cost equals the sum of the material cost and the carbon pricing, and is set as the optimization’s objective function. Secondly, 25 various mixtures are used as a database of optimization. The database covered a wide range of strengths between 25 MPa and 55 MPa and a wide range of workability between 5 and 25 cm in slump. Gene expression programming is used to predict the concrete’s strength and slump. The ternary blended concrete’s carbonation depth is calculated using the efficiency factors of fly ash and slag. Thirdly, the genetic algorithm is used to find the optimal mixture under various constraints. We provide examples to illustrate the design of ternary blended concrete with different strength levels and environmental CO(2) concentrations. The results show that, for a suburban region, carbonation durability is the controlling factor in terms of the design of the mixture when the design strength is less than 40.49 MPa, and the compressive strength is the controlling factor in the design of the mixture when the design strength is greater than 40.49 MPa. For an urban region, the critical strength for distinguishing carbonation durability control and strength control is 45.93 MPa. The total cost, material cost, and carbon pricing increase as the concrete’s strength increases.