---

Concrete is the second most consumed material after water and the most widely used construction material in the world. The compressive strength of concrete is one of its most important mechanical properties, which highly depends on its mix design. The present study uses the intelligent methods with instance-based learning ability to predict the compressive strength of concrete. To achieve this objective, first, a set of data pertaining to concrete mix designs containing fly ash was collected. Then, mix design parameters were used as the inputs of the artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) developed for predicting the compressive strength. In all these models, prediction accuracy largely depends on the parameters of the learning model. Hence, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, as a powerful population-based algorithm for solving continuous and discrete optimization problems, was used to determine the optimal values of algorithm parameters. The hybrid models were trained and tested with 426 experimental data and their results were compared by statistical criteria. Comparing the results of the developed models with the real values showed that the ANFIS-PSO hybrid model has the best performance and accuracy among the assessed methods.

---

In the current study two methods are evaluated for predicting the compressive strength of concrete containing metakaolin. Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model and stepwise regression (SR) model are developed as a reliable modeling method for simulating and predicting the compressive strength of concrete containing metakaolin at the different ages. The required data in training and testing state obtained from a reliable data base. Then, a comparison has been made between proposed ANFIS model and SR model to have an idea about the predictive power of these methods.

---

Lightweight concrete (LWC) is a kind of concrete that made of lightweight aggregates or gas bubbles. These aggregates could be natural or artificial, and expanded polystyrene (EPS) lightweight concrete is the most interesting lightweight concrete and has good mechanical properties. Bulk density of this kind of concrete is between 300-2000 kg/m³. In this paper flexural strength of EPS is modeled using four regression models, nine neural network models and four adaptive Network-based Fuzzy Interface System model (ANFIS). Among these models, ANFIS model with Bell-shaped membership function has the best results and can predict the flexural strength of EPS lightweight concrete more accurately.
 

---

In this paper, the bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method is used to find optimal layouts of 3D prestressed concrete beams. Considering the element sensitivity number as the design variable, the mathematical formulation of topology optimization is developed based on the ABAQUS finite element software package. The surface-to-surface contact with a small sliding between concrete and prestressing steels is assumed to accurately model the prestressing effects. The concrete constitutive model used is the concrete damaged plasticity (CDP) model in ABAQUS. The integration of the optimization algorithm and finite element analysis (FEA) tools is done by using the ABAQUS scripting interface. A pretensioned prestressed simply supported beam is modeled to show capabilities of the proposed method in finding optimal topologies of prestressed concrete beams. Many issues relating to topology optimization of prestressed concrete beams such as the effects of prestressing stress, geometrical discontinuities and height constraints on optimal designs and strut-and-tie models (STMs) are studied in the example. The results show that the proposed method can efficiently be used for layout optimization of prestressed concrete beams.

---

Bridges constitute an expensive segment of construction projects; the optimization of their designs will affect their high cost. Segmental precast concrete bridges are one of the most commonly serviced bridges built for mid and long spans. Genetic algorithm is one of the most widely applied meta-heuristic algorithms due to its ability in optimizing cost. Next to providing cost optimization of these bridge types, the effects of each one of the main three selections, crossover and mutation operators are assessed, and the best operator is determined through the Taguchi experimental design. To validate the functionality of this algorithm, a bridge constructed in the city of Isfahan, Iran (completed in 2017) is optimized, a total of 13% reduction in cost and weight of its superstructure is evident. The efficiency of applying the Taguchi method in determining the type of operators of the genetic algorithm is proved.

---

In structural design, either the experience of designer is used or a uniform grouping is usually utilized to group the elements. This type of grouping affects the fundamental cost of the buildings, including the cost of concrete, steel and formwork, as well as secondary costs such as laboratory, checking, fabrication and etc. However, the secondary costs are not usually considered in the cost function. Strategies can also be used to automate the grouping of members in structural design. In this strategy beams and columns are automatically grouped into a limited number of groups to achieve the lowest cost. In this study, enhanced colliding bodies optimization algorithm is used to automatically group the beams and columns of the reinforced concrete structures and also to optimize their cost. The proposed procedure applied to three reinforced concrete frames with four, eight and twelve stories and the influence of automatic grouping of the members in optimal cost is investigated. Using this method, the beams and columns are automatically grouped and the results show that the optimal cost obtained from the automatic grouping is less than the manual grouping of the members.

---

In recent years, soft computing and artificial intelligence techniques such as artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) have been effectively used in various civil engineering applications. This study aims to examine the potential of ANN and ANFIS for modeling the compressive strength of concrete containing expanded perlite powder (EPP). For doing this, a total of forty-five EPP incorporated concrete mixtures were produced and tested for compressive strength at different curing ages of 3, 7, 28, 42 and 90 days. Two different ANN models were developed and the suitable and stable ANN architecture for each model was considered by calculating various statistical parameters. For comparative purposes, two ANFIS models with different membership functions were also trained. According to the results, it can be concluded that the proposed ANN models relatively give a good degree of accuracy in predicting the compressive strength of concrete made with EPP, higher than that of observed from ANFIS models.

---

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term vertical deformations of segmented pre-tensioned concrete bridges by a new approach. It provides a practical and reliable method for calculating the amount of long-term deformation based on creep and shrinkage in segmented prestress bridges. There are various relationships for estimating the creep and shrinkage of concrete. The analytical results of existing models can be very different, and the results are not reliable. In this paper, the different existing relationships are written in MATLAB software. After calculation, the values of the creep and shrinkage are stored. Then a sample bridge is simulated in the CSI-Bridge software, and different values of creep and shrinkage are allocated separately. Therefore, the data are analyzed, and its maximum deformation value is extracted at a critical span (D_v-max). Assigning different amount of creep and shrinkage to the model results in different values  of D_v-max. In the next step, all D_v-max values  resulting from the change in creep and shrinkage contents should be re-introduced to MATLAB code to perform the calculation of the failure curve, and extract the corresponding D_v-max values at 95% probability. In a new approach, fragility curves are used to obtain the corresponding creep and shrinkage values corresponding to the desired probability percentage. Thus, instead of simulating several models, only one model is simulated. The results of the analysis of a bridge sample in this study indicate acceptable accuracy of the proposed solution for the 95% probability.

---

Reducing waste material plays an essential role for engineers in the current world. Nowadays, recycled materials are going to be used in order to manufacture concrete beams. Previous studies concluded that the currently proposed formulas to predict the flexural and shear behavior of the reinforced concrete beams were not appropriate for those manufactured by recycled materials. This study aims to employ the Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm to suggest the flexural and shear performance of recycled material reinforced concrete beams. For this purpose, the previous experimental outcomes are utilized, and new equations are established to anticipate both flexural and shear behavior of the recycled material concrete beams. Consequently, all findings are compared with those achieved experimentally. The attained significances of this study show that the proposed formulas have high accuracy for the experimental data.

---

In this research, the optimization problem of the steel-concrete composite I-girder bridges is investigated. The optimization process is performed using the pattern search algorithm, and a parallel processing-based approach is introduced to improve the performance of this algorithm. In addition, using the open application programming interface (OAPI), the SM toolbox is developed. In this toolbox, the OAPI commands are implemented as MATLAB functions. The design variables represent the number and dimension of the longitudinal beam and the thickness of the concrete slab. The constraints of this problem are presented in three steps. The first step includes the constraints on the web-plate and flange-plate proportion limits and those on the operating conditions. The second step consists of considering strength constraints, while the concrete slab is not yet hardened. In the third step, strength and deflection constraints are considered when the concrete slab is hardened. The AASHTO LRFD code (2007) for steel beam design and AASHTO LRFD (2014) for concrete slab design are used. The numerical examples of a sloping bridge with a skew angle are presented. Results show that active constraints are those on the operating conditions and component strength and that in terms of CPU time, a 19.6% improvement is achieved using parallel processing.

---

The main object in optimizing reinforced concrete frames based on the performance is decreasing the initial cost or life cycle cost or total cost. The optimization performed here is with the requirement of satisfying story drifts and rotation of plastic hinges. However, this optimization may decrease seismic strength of the structure. Newton Meta-Heuristic Algorithm (NMA) was used to optimize three-, six-, and twelve-story reinforced concrete frames based on the performance and utilizing the cost objective function. The seismic parameters of the optimized frames were calculated. The results showed that the inter-story drifts at the performance level of LS controls the design. According to the results, the objective function for construction cost is not useful for the optimization of the reinforced concrete frames. Because the amounts of the over strength, the absorbed plastic energy, and the ductility factor for the optimized frames are low using the objective function for the construction cost.

---

In this paper, a new robust metaheuristic optimization algorithm called improved time evolutionary optimization (ITEO) is applied to design reinforced concrete one-way ribbed slabs. Geometric and strength characteristics of concrete slabs are considered as design variables. The optimal design is such that in addition to achieving the minimum cost, all design constraints are satisfied under American Concrete Institute’s ACI 318-05 Standard. So, the numerical examples considered in this study have a large number of design variables and design constraints that make it complicated to converge the global optimal design. The ITEO has an excellent balance between the two phases of exploration and extraction and it has a high ability to find the optimal point of such problems. The comparison results between the ITEO and some other metaheuristic algorithms show the proposed method is competitive compared to others, and in some cases, superior to some other available metaheuristic techniques in terms of the faster convergence rate, performance, robustness of finding an optimal design solution, and needs a smaller number of function evaluations for designing considered constrained engineering problems.
 

---

In this article, the optimum design of a reinforced concrete solid slab is presented via an efficient hybrid metaheuristic algorithm that is recently developed. This algorithm utilizes the mouth-brooding fish (MBF) algorithm as the main engine and uses the favorable properties of the colliding bodies optimization (CBO) algorithm. The efficiency of this algorithm is compared with mouth-brooding fish (MBF), Neural Dynamic (ND), Cuckoo Search Optimization (COA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The cost of the solid slab is considered to be the objective function, and the design is based on the ACI code. The numerical results indicate that this hybrid metaheuristic algorithm can to construct very promising results and has merits in solving challenging optimization problems.
 

---

Remarkable growth in the use of AI in various fields of civil engineering is going on in the new era. The applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are widely considered for specifying the mechanical properties of concretes and noticeable results are reported. Hence, this systematic review aims to study different methods presented in various research in this regard. The gaps and shortcomings of the previous studies are presented, which can shed light on future studies by presenting new ideas. The major issues that the research seek to examine are accuracy and authenticity. The experimental costs and time spent specifying the concrete's mechanical properties will significantly reduce using AI techniques. It is recommended to employ AI methods more widely for composite materials. The suggestions presented here can be beneficial to those aiming to advance in this significant and offer more innovations.
 

---

Cement, water, fine aggregates, and coarse aggregates are combined to produce concrete, which is the most common substance after water and has a distinctly compressive strength, the most important quality indicator. Hardened concrete's compressive strength is one of its most important properties. The compressive strength of concrete allows us to determine a wide range of concrete properties based on this characteristic, including tensile strength, shear strength, specific weight, durability, erosion resistance, sulfate resistance, and others. Increasing concrete's compressive strength solely by modifying aggregate characteristics and without affecting water and cement content is a challenge in the direction of concrete production. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) can be used to reduce laboratory work and predict concrete's compressive strength. Metaheuristic algorithms can be applied to ANN in an efficient and targeted manner, since they are intelligent systems capable of solving a wide range of problems. This study proposes new samples using the Taguchi method and tests them in the laboratory. Following the training of an ANN with the obtained results, the highest compressive strength is calculated using the EVPS and SA-EVPS algorithms.
 

---

The main objective of this study is to optimize reinforced concrete (RC) frames in the framework of performance-based design using metaheuristics. Three improved and efficient metaheuristics are employed in this work, namely, improved multi-verse (IMV), improved black hole (IBH) and modified newton metaheuristic algorithm (MNMA). These metaheuristic algorithms are applied for performance-based design optimization of 6- and 12-story planar RC frames. The seismic response of the structures is evaluated using pushover analysis during the optimization process. The obtained results show that the IBH outperforms the other algorithms.
 

---

Shape optimization of a double-curved dam is formulated using control points for interpolation functions. Every design vector is decoded into the integrated water-dam-foundation rock model. An enhanced algorithm is proposed by hybridizing particle swarm algorithm with ant colony optimization and simulated annealing. The best experiences of the search agents are indirectly shared via pheromone trail deposited on a bi-partite characteristic graph. Such a stochastic search is further tuned by Boltzmann functions in simulated annealing. The proposed method earned the first rank in comparison with six well-known meta‑heuristic algorithms in solving benchmark test functions. It captured the optimal shape design of Morrow Point dam, as a widely addressed case-study, by 21% reduced concrete volume with respect to the common USBR design practice and 16% better than the particle swarm optimizer. Such an optimal design was also superior to the others in stress redistribution for better performance of the dam system.
 

---

In this paper an enhanced ant colony optimization algorithm with a direct constraints handling strategy is proposed for the optimization of reinforced concrete frames. The construction cost of reinforced concrete frames is considered as the objective function, which should be minimized subject to geometrical and behavioral strength constraints. For this purpose, a new probabilistic function is added to the ant colony optimization algorithm to directly satisfy the geometrical constraints. Furthermore, the position of an ant in each iteration is updated if a better solution is found in terms of objective value and behavioral strength constraints satisfaction. Five benchmark design examples of planar reinforced concrete frames are presented to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.  
 

---

In this study, experimental and computational approaches are used in order to develop and optimize self-compacting concrete mixes (Artificial neural network, EVPS metaheuristic algorithm, Taguchi method). Initially, ten basic mix designs were tested, and an artificial neural network was trained to predict the properties of these mixes. The network was then used to generate ten optimized mixes using the EVPS algorithm. Three mixes with the highest compressive strength were selected, and additional tests were conducted using the Taguchi approach. Inputting these results, along with the initial mix designs, into a second trained neural network, 10 new mix designs were tested using the network. Two of these mixes did not meet the requirements for self-compacting concrete, specifically in the U-box test. However, the predicted compressive strength results showed excellent agreement with low error percentages compared to the laboratory results, which indicates the effectiveness of the artificial neural network in predicting concrete properties, thus indicating that self-compacting concrete properties can be predicted with reasonable accuracy. The paper emphasizes the reliability and cost-effectiveness of artificial neural networks in predicting concrete properties. The study highlights the importance of providing diverse and abundant training data to improve the accuracy of predictions. The results demonstrate that neural networks can serve as valuable tools for predicting concrete characteristics, saving time and resources in the process. Overall, the research provides insights into the development of self-compacting concrete mixes and highlights the effectiveness of computational approaches in optimizing concrete performance.
 

---

The global population growth and the subsequent surge in housing demand have inevitably led to an increase in the demand for concrete, and consequently, cement. This has posed environmental challenges, as cement factories are significant contributors to carbon dioxide emissions. One promising solution is to incorporate pozzolanic materials into concrete production. This study investigates the effects of using travertine sludge as a partial substitute for cement. Seven different mix designs, along with a control mix, were created and compared. The primary variable was the ratio of travertine sludge to cement weight, considered in intervals of 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, and 40% of the cement's weight. Various tests were conducted, including compressive strength and flexural strength at ages of 7, 28, and 90 days, as well as a permeability test at 28 days. The findings revealed interesting patterns. At the 7-day mark, as the percentage of travertine sludge increased, there was a decrease in compressive strength. However, by the 28-day mark, the concrete displayed a varied behavior: using up to 30% travertine sludge by weight reduced the strength, but exceeding 30% resulted in increased strength. At the 90-day mark, an overall increase in strength was observed with the rise in travertine sludge percentage. Such pozzolanic effects on compressive strength were somewhat predictable. Additionally, based on the flexural strength tests, travertine sludge can be deemed a viable substitute for a certain percentage of cement by weight. This research underscores the potential of sustainable alternatives in the construction industry, promoting both professional development and personal branding for those engaged in eco-friendly practices.