Prediction of Abrasion Resistance of LBPA Concrete Using ANN

Abstract

The construction industry relies heavily on Portland cement (PC), a critical component of concrete. However, Portland cement is costly and has significant environmental drawbacks. Cement production is the third-largest contributor to global CO₂ emissions, following fossil fuel combustion and deforestation. This study aimed to investigate the effects of partially replacing cement with Locust Bean Pod Ash (LBPA) on the properties of concrete containing 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% LBPA. The Department of Environment (DoE) method of mix design was adopted to produce 72 specimens. Concrete properties such as workability, compressive strength, and abrasion resistance were examined. A Conditional Tabular Generative Adversarial Network (CTGAN) was utilized to expand the dataset to 500 samples for Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model prediction of LBPA concrete properties. The recorded slump values were 50 mm for 0% replacement, 45 mm for 5%, 42 mm for 10%, and 38 mm for 15%, respectively. Compressive strength tests showed a reduction in strength with increasing LBPA replacement levels. The average 28-day compressive strength values for 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% LBPA replacements were 23.13 N/mm², 21.14 N/mm², 18.53 N/mm², and 14.62 N/mm², respectively. The control specimen had an average 28-day abrasion resistance of 0.101%, while samples with 5%, 10%, and 15% LBPA replacements exhibited values of 0.073%, 0.100%, and 0.130%, respectively. ANN models were employed to predict the abrasion resistance of LBPA concrete. The models demonstrated high accuracy, with R² values ranging from 0.82 to 0.97, and minimal errors, confirming their reliability. It is recommended that Limestone-based Cement (LBC) be replaced with Locust Bean Pod Ash (LBPA) at levels of up to 10%. The abrasion resistance of LBPA concrete falls within the BS 8204-2:2003 standards, indicating adequate wear resistance even at higher LBPA replacement levels. The successful application of ANN models in predicting the abrasion resistance of LBPA concrete highlights its potential as a sustainable cement alternative, supporting its use in concrete production.