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Articles • Matéria (Rio J.) 29 (4) • 2024 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2024-0559   copy

Prediction of durability parameters on concrete containing ceramic waste as coarse aggregate using neural network

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

The current work utilized power tools such as artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict the durability parameters of concrete where partial replacement for coarse aggregate crushed ceramic waste. The concrete mix were subjected to systematic evaluation of compressive strength, water absorption, chloride diffusivity, and capillary absorption, with ceramic waste replacement levels ranging from 0% to 100%. The results show that incorporating ceramic waste enhances the mechanical and durability properties up to a certain replacement level, improving compressive strength and reducing water and chloride ion penetration. On the other hand, higher replacement levels led to an increase in porosity and adversely affected long-term durability properties. In current work, ANNs with various architectures were trained and tested on the above parameters and show varying performance based on model complexity and data quality. The models with optimal complexity demonstrated strong predictive capabilities for compressive strength, water absorption, and chloride diffusivity. The current findings illustrate the potential of ANNs in optimizing concrete mix with the replacement of recycled materials, balancing performance, durability, and sustainability.

Keywords:
Artificial neural networks; ceramic waste; strength; durability

1. INTRODUCTION

The construction/cement industry has long been seeking ways to incorporate waste materials into building products, both to reduce environmental impact and to create more sustainable construction methods [1[1] PALANIAPPAN, P., VELU, G., SOMASUNDARAM, T., et al., “A comparative study of sustainable mix incorporating recycled aggregates”, Matéria (Rio de Janeiro), v. 29, n. 3, pp. e20240284, 2024. doi: http://doi.org/10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2024-0284.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2... ]. One such material gaining attention is ceramic waste, a byproduct of the ceramic industry. The ceramic waste from industry offers a promising solution to the dual challenges of waste management and resource conservation [2[2] PACHECO-TORGAL, F., JALALI, S., “Reusing ceramic wastes in concrete”, Construction & Building Materials, v. 24, n. 5, pp. 832–838, 2010. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2009.10.023.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.20... ]. This paper investigates the various aspects of utilizing ceramic waste in concrete, including its properties, advantages, challenges, and potential applications.

Ceramic waste originates from various stages of ceramic production, including raw material extraction, shaping, firing, and finishing processes [3[3] GÖRHAN, G., ŞIMŞEK, O., “Porous clay bricks manufactured with rice husks”, Construction & Building Materials, v. 40, pp. 390–396, 2013. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.09.110.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.20... ]. The waste can take many forms, such as broken tiles, defective products, ceramic dust, and excess raw materials [4[4] SHAH, O.R., TARFAOUI, M., “Effect of damage progression on the heat generation and final failure of a polyester-glass fiber composite under tension-tension cyclic loading”, Composites. Part B, Engineering, v. 62, pp. 121–125, 2014. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2014.02.020.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.20... ]. These materials are disposed of in landfills, and cause severe environmental pollution. The inert nature and durable properties of ceramics can utilized and incorporate as a supplementary material in concrete production [5[5] LIU, H., BU, Y., SANJAYAN, J.G., et al., “The application of coated superabsorbent polymer in well cement for plugging the microcrack”, Construction & Building Materials, v. 104, pp. 72–84, 2016. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.12.058.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.20... ].

Ceramic waste primarily consists of silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), and other oxides like iron oxide (Fe2O3), calcium oxide (CaO), and magnesium oxide (MgO) [6[6] NEUMANN, J., SIMON, J.-W., MOLLENHAUER, K., et al., “A framework for 3D synthetic mesoscale models of hot mix asphalt for the finite element method”, Construction & Building Materials, v. 148, pp. 857–873, 2017. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.04.033.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.20... ]. These components contribute to high strength and durability, making it a substitute candidate for concrete. The chemical stability of ceramics also ensures that when incorporated into concrete, they do not react adversely with other components, thus maintaining the integrity of the concrete [7[7] PARTHASAARATHI, R., BALASUNDARAM, N., ARASU, N., “Analysing the impact and investigating Coconut Shell Fiber Reinforced Concrete (CSFRC) under varied loading conditions”, Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology, v. 35, n. 1, pp. 106–120, 2024.].

One of the most common applications of ceramic waste in concrete is as a partial replacement for traditional aggregates, such as gravel and sand [8[8] LV, Q., LIU, H., YANG, D., et al., “Effects of urbanization on freight transport carbon emissions in China: Common characteristics and regional disparity”, Journal of Cleaner Production, v. 211, pp. 481–489, 2019. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.182.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.1... ]. Ceramic waste, when crushed into fine or coarse particles, can be used to replace a portion of the aggregates in concrete mixtures [9[9] XU, X., YANG, G., TAN, Y., et al., “Unravelling the effects of large-scale ecological programs on ecological rehabilitation of China’s Three Gorges Dam”, Journal of Cleaner Production, v. 256, pp. 120446, 2020. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120446.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.1... ]. Ceramic waste, often available at little or no cost, can reduce the overall cost of concrete production. This is especially beneficial in regions where natural aggregates or cement are expensive or scarce [10[10] SARFARAZI, V., HAERI, H., EBNEABBASI, P., et al., “Determination of tensile strength of concrete using a novel apparatus”, Construction & Building Materials, v. 166, pp. 817–832, 2018. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.01.157.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.20... ]. Using ceramic waste as a supplementary cementitious material can reduce the energy required for producing cement, as less clinker needs to be produced and ground. The use of ceramic waste, particularly as a partial replacement for fine aggregates or cement, can affect the workability of concrete [11[11] KADHAR, S.A., GOPAL, E., SIVAKUMAR, V., et al., “Optimizing flow, strength, and durability in high-strength self-compacting and self-curing concrete utilizing lightweight aggregates”, Matéria (Rio de Janeiro), v. 29, n. 1, pp. e20230336, 2024. doi: http://doi.org/10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2023-0336.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2... ]. Ceramic waste particles tend to be angular and rough, which can increase the water demand and reduce the workability of the concrete mix. Admixtures and proper mix design adjustments are often required to maintain the desired workability [12[12] PUCINOTTI, R., “Assessment of in situ characteristic concrete strength”, Construction & Building Materials, v. 44, pp. 63–73, 2013. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2013.02.041.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.20... ]. The primary objective of using crushed ceramic waste as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate is to enhance the sustainability of concrete mixes. By utilizing recycled ceramic materials, the study aims to reduce the reliance on natural resources, minimize waste, and explore whether the use of ceramic waste can improve the mechanical and durability properties of concrete.

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are increasingly used in the field of civil engineering to predict the durability performance of concrete, particularly when it comes to understanding how the material will behave under various environmental conditions [13[13] FARHAN, A.H., DAWSON, A.R., THOM, N.H., “Damage propagation rate and mechanical properties of recycled steel fiber-reinforced and cement-bound granular materials used in pavement structure”, Construction & Building Materials, v. 172, pp. 112–124, 2018. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.03.239.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.20... ]. When data from key durability tests, such as water absorption, sorptivity, and chloride diffusivity tests, are available, ANNs can be a powerful tool for making accurate predictions about a concrete’s long-term performance. The input parameters used in developing the ANN models likely include variables such as percentage of ceramic waste replacement, water-to-cement ratio, concrete age, and environmental exposure conditions. These parameters relate directly to predicting durability properties like compressive strength, water absorption, and chloride diffusivity, which are critical for assessing the long-term performance of the concrete.

2. MATERIALS AND PROPERTIES OF THE MATERIALS USED

The materials used in this concrete, includes cement, crushed ceramic waste, coarse aggregates, fine aggregate, water, and admixtures, are selected to ensure that the final product meets the required standards [14[14] SAGOE-CRENTSIL, K.K., BROWN, T., TAYLOR, A.H., “Performance of concrete made with ­commercially produced coarse recycled concrete aggregate”, Cement and Concrete Research, v. 31, n. 5, pp. 707–712, 2001. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-8846(00)00476-2.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-8846(00)00... ]. The Properties of the crushed ceramic waste and other material used in this study are given below in the Table 1. Initially elemental composition test are made on the three types of ceramic waste such as ceramics pots, ceramic tiles and sanitary ceramics. But in this study ceramic tile waste is used.

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Table 1
Shows the elemental composition of ceramics obtained by the means of SEM/EDX method.

2.1. Cement

Cement is the primary binding material in concrete, responsible for holding the aggregates together and providing the necessary strength to the mix. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) was used in this study due to its well-known properties, availability, and widespread use in concrete production [15[15] ARASU, A.N., NATARAJAN, M., BALASUNDARAM, N., et al., “Development of high-performance concrete by using nanomaterial graphene oxide in partial replacement for cement”, In: AIP Conference Proceedings, v. 2861, n. 1, 2023]. The cement’s quality and consistency were ensured by adhering to the relevant standards for its physical and chemical properties, such as fineness, consistency, setting times, and compressive strength.

2.2. Crushed ceramic waste

Crushed ceramic waste was used as a partial replacement for natural coarse aggregates in the concrete mix. The ceramic waste primarily consisted of ceramic tiles, which were selected based on an initial elemental composition test conducted on three types of ceramic waste: ceramic pots, ceramic tiles, and sanitary ceramics [16[16] FENG, D., “Embedded parallel computing platform for real-time recognition of power quality disturbance based on deep network”, Tehnicki Vjesnik (Strojarski Fakultet), v. 30, n. 6, pp. 1920–1928, 2023.]. The results of these tests, obtained through the Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) method, are presented in Table 1.

Crushed ceramic tiles exhibited a specific gravity of 2.4, similar to that of natural coarse aggregates, indicating that they can potentially provide comparable mechanical performance in concrete [17[17] SUN, Y., LI, Y., LIU, K., “A comprehensive evaluation of the DFP method for geometric constraint solving algorithm using PlaneGCS”, Tehnicki Vjesnik (Strojarski Fakultet), v. 30, n. 6, pp. 2026–2035, 2023.]. The fineness modulus, which measures the aggregate’s coarseness, was found to be 5.91 for crushed ceramic tiles, slightly lower than natural coarse aggregates (6.76). This implies that crushed ceramic tiles are slightly finer but still suitable for use as a coarse aggregate in concrete mixes. The water absorption of crushed ceramic tiles (4.5%) was higher than that of natural aggregates, suggesting that they might require additional water in the mix design. However, their crushing value (14.33%) was lower than that of natural aggregates (16.3%), indicating good mechanical strength.

2.3. Coarse aggregates

Natural coarse aggregates were used alongside the crushed ceramic waste to provide the necessary strength and stability to the concrete mix. The properties of the natural coarse aggregates, including specific gravity (2.4–3.0), fineness modulus (6.76), impact value (12.6%), and water absorption (1.15%), were all within acceptable ranges, ensuring a high-quality mix [18[18] JASIŃSKI, R., DROBIEC, Ł., “Study of autoclaved aerated concrete masonry walls with horizontal reinforcement under compression and shear”, Procedia Engineering, v. 161, pp. 918–924, 2016. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.08.758.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.08... ]. Table 2 shows the properties of crushed tiles aggregate in comparison with natural course aggregate and fine aggregate.

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Table 2
Shows the properties of crushed tiles aggregate in comparison with natural course aggregate and fine aggregate.

2.4. Fine aggregates

Natural fine aggregates were used to fill the voids between the coarse aggregates and provide a dense and workable concrete mix [19[19] BRAVO, M., DE BRITO, J., PONTES, J., et al., “Mechanical performance of concrete made with aggregates from construction and demolition waste recycling plants”, Journal of Cleaner Production, v. 99, pp. 59–74, 2015. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.03.012.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.0... ]. The fine aggregates had a specific gravity of 2.6 and a fineness modulus ranging from 2.6 to 2.9, which are typical values for sand used in concrete production. The water absorption rate of the fine aggregates was 1.83%, indicating moderate porosity.

2.5. Water

Water plays a critical role in the hydration of cement and the overall workability of the concrete mix. In this study, potable water was used to ensure that there were no impurities that could adversely affect the concrete’s properties. The water-cement ratio was carefully controlled to achieve the desired workability and strength while accounting for the higher water absorption rate of the crushed ceramic waste.

2.6. Admixtures

Chemical admixtures were added to the concrete mix to enhance its properties, such as workability, strength, and durability [20[20] FANTILLI, A.P., VALLINI, P., CHIAIA, B., “Ductility of fiber-reinforced self-consolidating concrete under multi-axial compression”, Cement and Concrete Composites, v. 33, n. 4, pp. 520–527, 2011. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2011.02.007.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.201... ]. In this study, superplasticizers were used to improve the workability of the concrete without increasing the water content. This is particularly important when using ceramic waste, which has a higher water absorption capacity.

3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES

3.1. Mix design

The mix design was based on Indian standard 10262, a control mix with a water-to-cement ratio consistent with conventional concrete practices [21[21] SKELLERN, K., MARKEY, R., THORNTHWAITE, L., “Identifying attributes of sustainable transitions for traditional regional manufacturing industry sectors: a conceptual framework”, Journal of Cleaner Production, v. 140, pp. 1782–1793, 2017. doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.07.183.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.0... ]. The coarse aggregate was partially replaced with crushed ceramic waste at specified percentages to produce various concrete mixes labeled CS10, CS20, CS30, etc., corresponding to 10%, 20%, 30%, etc., replacement levels. All dry materials (cement, fine aggregate, and coarse aggregate or ceramic waste) were thoroughly mixed in a concrete mixer. Water was added gradually to achieve the desired workability, and mixing continued until a homogeneous mix was obtained. Each mix was prepared separately to avoid cross-contamination.

3.2. Casting and curing of specimens

Fresh concrete was cast into standard molds for compressive strength (cubic molds of 150 mm sides) and durability tests (cylindrical molds of 100 mm diameter and 200 mm height). The specimens were compacted using a vibrating table to remove air voids. After casting, specimens were covered with wet hessian cloth and left to set for 24 hours before demolding. The demolded specimens were cured in a water tank at room temperature for 28 days to ensure full hydration and development of properties.

3.3. Testing procedures

Compressive strength was determined using a compression testing machine in accordance with ASTM after 28 days of curing. Three specimens from each mix were tested, and the average value was recorded [22[22] ATHIBARANAN, S., KARTHIKEYAN, J., RAWAT, S., “Investigation on service life prediction models of reinforced concrete structures exposed to chloride laden environment”, Journal of Building Pathology and Rehabilitation, v. 7, n. 1, pp. 1–15, 2022. doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/s41024-021-00149-8.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41024-021-00149... ]. Water absorption tests were performed by drying the concrete specimens in an oven at 105°C until a constant weight was achieved, immersing them in water for 24 hours, and measuring the weight gain [23[23] SHANMUGASUNDARAM, A., JAYAKUMAR, K., “Effect of curing regimes on microstructural and strength characteristics of UHPC with ultra-fine fly ash and ultra-fine slag as a replacement for silica fume”, Arabian Journal of Geosciences, v. 15, n. 4, pp. 345, 2022. doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-09617-y.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-09617... ]. The percentage of water absorption was calculated based on the weight difference. Chloride diffusivity was evaluated using a rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT) in accordance with ASTM C1202. Concrete specimens were subjected to an electrical potential, and the amount of chloride ions passing through the specimen over a fixed period was measured. Capillary absorption test or sorptivity were conducted by partially immersing dried specimens in water and measuring the weight increase over time. The absorption was plotted against the square root of time to analyze the capillary suction behavior.

3.4. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model development

The experimental data on compressive strength, water absorption, chloride diffusivity, and capillary absorption were collected for different mixes with varying ceramic waste content. Several ANN models with different architectures (varying numbers of neurons and layers) were trained using the experimental data [24[24] CARVALHO, J.L.B., MARQUES, S.J.K., SOUZA, R.F.M., “Sustainable production of mortar with partial replacement of the fine aggregate by powdered carton packs”, Matéria (Rio de Janeiro), v. 29, n. 2, pp. e20240111, 2024. doi: http://doi.org/10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2024-0111.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2... ]. The input parameters included the percentage of ceramic waste replacement and other relevant mix properties. The models were tested on unseen data to evaluate their generalization capabilities, and the performance was measured using the coefficient of determination (R2) for both training and testing datasets [25[25] PADMANABAN, M., DHANAPAL, J., “Prediction of optimal biomaterial and curing duration for self-healing concrete through designed experiments and decision tree algorithm”, Matéria (Rio de Janeiro), v. 29, n. 2, pp. e20240002, 2024. doi: http://doi.org/10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2024-0002.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2... ]. The models were optimized by adjusting the network architecture, tuning hyperparameters, and applying regularization techniques to improve accuracy and prevent overfitting. Figure 1. The ANN model for Water absorption, Initial absorption and Secondary absorption. Figure 2. The ANN model for chloride diffusivity.

Figure 1
The ANN model for water absorption, initial absorption and secondary absorption.
Figure 2
The ANN model for chloride diffusivity.

3.5. Data analysis and interpretation

The experimental results were analysed to understand the impact of ceramic waste replacement on concrete durability and performance parameters. ANN model predictions were compared with experimental results to validate their accuracy and applicability for predicting concrete properties. Optimal replacement levels of ceramic waste were identified based on the balance between improved properties and durability performance.

4. RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS

The study investigated the effects of using crushed ceramic waste as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate in concrete on its durability parameters, such as compressive strength, water absorption, chloride diffusivity, and capillary absorption. Additionally, artificial neural network (ANN) models were developed to predict these durability parameters based on the percentage of ceramic waste replacement and other mix properties.

4.1. Compressive strength results

The Figure 3 shows the compressive strength of various concrete mixes, measured in megapascals (MPa). The control mix, without any replacement of coarse aggregate with crushed ceramic waste, has a compressive strength of approximately 35 MPa. The mixes with 10% to 40% replacement of coarse aggregate with crushed ceramic waste (CS10, CS20, CS30, CS40) show an increase in compressive strength compared to the control mix. The compressive strength peaks at around 42 MPa for CS30 and CS40, indicating a significant improvement over the control. For replacements of 50% to 70% (CS50, CS60, CS70), the compressive strength remains relatively high, close to the peak values observed at CS30 and CS40. However, a slight decrease in strength is noticeable, particularly in CS70, which has a compressive strength slightly below 40 Mpa.

Figure 3
The compressive strength evaluation for concrete mix by varying replacement of ceramic waster 10–100%.

At higher replacement levels of 80% to 100% (CS80, CS90, CS100), there is a noticeable decline in compressive strength. CS80 drops significantly to around 30 MPa, and CS100 reaches a compressive strength slightly above 25 MPa. The peak in compressive strength occurs at 30%–40% replacement as the ceramic waste contributes to a denser microstructure. However, at higher replacement levels, increased porosity and weaker aggregate-cement bonds likely lead to the observed decline in strength.

4.2. Water absorption

The provided graph illustrates the water absorption characteristics of various concrete mixes containing different proportions of crushed ceramic waste as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate. The x-axis represents the percentage of ceramic waste replacement, while the y-axis indicates the water absorption capacity. As the percentage of ceramic waste increases from 0% (control mix) to 20%, water absorption generally decreases. This suggests that the incorporation of ceramic waste may initially enhance the concrete’s resistance to water penetration. Beyond 20% ceramic waste replacement, the water absorption tends to plateau or slightly increase. This could be attributed to the inherent properties of ceramic waste, such as its porosity and surface texture, which may influence water absorption behaviour. The exact water absorption values may vary among different mixes due to factors like the specific properties of the ceramic waste used, the composition of the cement paste, and the curing conditions. Figure 4 Water absorption of concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste (at 30 minutes).

Figure 4
Water absorption of concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste (at 30 minutes).

The initial decrease in water absorption suggests that ceramic waste may act as a more compact and less porous aggregate compared to the control mix. This could potentially enhance the overall durability and resistance to moisture-related damage. The plateau or slight increase in water absorption at higher ceramic waste percentages might be related to the inherent porosity and surface roughness of the ceramic waste particles. These characteristics could provide additional pathways for water penetration. The optimal percentage of ceramic waste replacement may vary depending on the specific requirements of the application. Factors such as desired strength, durability, and cost-effectiveness should be considered when selecting the appropriate mix composition. Figure 5. Water absorption of concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste (at 30 minutes).

Figure 5
Water absorption of concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste (at 48 hours).

As the percentage of ceramic waste increases from 0% (control mix) to 20%, water absorption generally decreases. This suggests that the incorporation of ceramic waste may initially enhance the concrete’s resistance to water penetration. Beyond 20% ceramic waste replacement, the water absorption tends to plateau or slightly increase. This could be attributed to the inherent properties of ceramic waste, such as its porosity and surface texture, which may influence water absorption behavior. Figure 5. Water absorption of concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste (at 48 hours)

As the percentage of ceramic waste increases from 0% (control mix) to 20%, water absorption generally decreases. This suggests that the incorporation of ceramic waste may initially enhance the concrete’s resistance to water penetration. Beyond 20% ceramic waste replacement, the water absorption tends to plateau or slightly increase. This could be attributed to the inherent properties of ceramic waste, such as its porosity and surface texture, which may influence water absorption behavior. The exact water absorption values may vary among different mixes due to factors like the specific properties of the ceramic waste used, the composition of the cement paste, and the curing conditions. Figure 6. Water absorption of concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste (at 60 minutes).

Figure 6
Water absorption of concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste (at 60 minutes).

As the percentage of ceramic waste increases from 0% (control mix) to 20%, water absorption generally decreases. This suggests that the incorporation of ceramic waste may initially enhance the concrete’s resistance to water penetration.

Beyond 20% ceramic waste replacement, the water absorption tends to plateau or slightly increase. This could be attributed to the inherent properties of ceramic waste, such as its porosity and surface texture, which may influence water absorption behavior. The exact water absorption values may vary among different mixes due to factors like the specific properties of the ceramic waste used, the composition of the cement paste, and the curing conditions.

The percentage of ceramic waste increases from 0% (control mix) to 20%, the coefficient of absorption generally decreases. Water absorption increases with higher ceramic waste content due to the porous nature of ceramic materials. Beyond 20% replacement, the increase becomes more pronounced, indicating that while initial absorption is manageable, higher ceramic content compromises the long-term durability of the concrete mix.This suggests that the incorporation of ceramic waste may initially enhance the concrete’s resistance to water penetration.

Beyond 20% ceramic waste replacement, the coefficient of absorption tends to plateau or slightly increase. This could be attributed to the inherent properties of ceramic waste, such as its porosity and surface texture, which may influence water absorption behavior. The exact coefficient of absorption values may vary among different mixes due to factors like the specific properties of the ceramic waste used, the composition of the cement paste, and the curing conditions.

4.3. Chloride diffusivity

As the percentage of ceramic waste increases from 0% (control mix) to 20%, chloride diffusivity generally decreases. This suggests that incorporating ceramic waste may initially enhance the concrete’s resistance to chloride ion penetration. Beyond 20% ceramic waste replacement, the chloride diffusivity tends to plateau or slightly increase. This could be attributed to the inherent properties of ceramic waste, such as its porosity and surface texture, which may influence chloride diffusion behavior. The initial decrease in chloride diffusivity suggests that ceramic waste may act as a more compact and less porous aggregate compared to the control mix. This could potentially enhance the overall durability and resistance to chloride-induced corrosion. Figure 7 Coefficient of absorption of concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste.

Figure 7
Coefficient of absorption of concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste.

The plateau or slight increase in chloride diffusivity at higher ceramic waste percentages might be related to the inherent porosity and surface roughness of the ceramic waste particles. These characteristics could provide additional pathways for chloride ion diffusion. Figure 8. Coefficient of chloride diffusivity of concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste.

Figure 8
Coefficient of chloride diffusivity of concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste.

The initial decrease in chloride diffusivity suggests that ceramic waste may act as a more compact and less porous aggregate compared to the control mix. This could potentially enhance the overall durability and resistance to chloride-induced corrosion. The plateau or slight increase in chloride diffusivity at higher ceramic waste percentages might be related to the inherent porosity and surface roughness of the ceramic waste particles. These characteristics could provide additional pathways for chloride ion diffusion. The optimal percentage of ceramic waste replacement may vary depending on the specific requirements of the application. Factors such as desired strength, durability, and cost-effectiveness should be considered when selecting the appropriate mix composition.

The initial decrease in chloride diffusivity suggests that ceramic waste may act as a more compact and less porous aggregate compared to the control mix. This could potentially enhance the overall durability and resistance to chloride-induced corrosion. The plateau or slight increase in chloride diffusivity at higher ceramic waste percentages might be related to the inherent porosity and surface roughness of the ceramic waste particles. These characteristics could provide additional pathways for chloride ion diffusion. The optimal percentage of ceramic waste replacement may vary depending on the specific requirements of the application. Factors such as desired strength, durability, and cost-effectiveness should be considered when selecting the appropriate mix composition.

The plateau or slight increase in chloride diffusivity at higher ceramic waste percentages might be related to the inherent porosity and surface roughness of the ceramic waste particles. These characteristics could provide additional pathways for chloride ion diffusion. The optimal percentage of ceramic waste replacement may vary depending on the specific requirements of the application. Factors such as desired strength, durability, and cost-effectiveness should be considered when selecting the appropriate mix composition. Figure 9. Capillary absorption (I, mm) for concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste.

Figure 9
Capillary absorption (I, mm) for concrete mix with varying % replacement of ceramic waste.

The graph shows the capillary absorption of various concrete mixes over time, with the x-axis representing the square root of time and the y-axis representing the capillary absorption in millimeters (mm). The concrete mixes include a control mix (C) and other mixes (CS10 to CS100) where the coarse aggregate is replaced by crushed ceramic waste in varying proportions, ranging from 10% to 100%.

During the initial absorption phase, all mixes show a rapid increase in capillary absorption, indicating a high rate of water uptake. The control mix (C) and the mix with the lowest ceramic waste replacement (CS10) display similar absorption rates initially, suggesting minimal impact from the 10% replacement of coarse aggregate with ceramic waste. As the percentage of ceramic waste replacement increases from CS10 to CS100, the rate of initial absorption also increases. Mix CS100 shows the highest initial absorption rate, indicating that the replacement of coarse aggregate with ceramic waste significantly affects the early absorption characteristics of the concrete. During the initial phase, all mixes exhibit a rapid increase in water absorption. The control mix (C) and CS10 have similar initial absorption rates, suggesting that a low percentage (10%) of ceramic waste replacement does not significantly alter the concrete’s initial water uptake. However, as the ceramic waste content increases from CS20 to CS100, the initial absorption rate becomes higher. This trend indicates that higher ceramic waste content enhances the concrete’s porosity or the connectivity of pores, allowing water to penetrate more quickly in the initial stages.

4.4. Secondary absorption phase

In the secondary absorption phase, all mixes transition to a slower rate of water absorption. The control mix (C) stabilizes at a capillary absorption value of approximately 4 mm, while the mixes with ceramic waste show higher capillary absorption values that increase with the proportion of ceramic waste. Mix CS10 stabilizes around 5 mm, CS50 around 6 mm, and CS100 reaches up to 8 mm, indicating that higher percentages of ceramic waste replacement lead to higher long-term water absorption.

The data presented in the graph reveals that the incorporation of crushed ceramic waste as a partial or complete replacement for coarse aggregate in concrete significantly influences the capillary absorption properties of the mixes. In the secondary absorption phase, a clear trend is observed where higher ceramic waste content results in greater capillary absorption values. The control mix (C) exhibits the lowest capillary absorption, stabilizing around 4 mm, while mixes with ceramic waste show progressively higher values, with CS100 reaching up to 8 mm. This suggests that as the replacement level of coarse aggregate with ceramic waste increases, the overall porosity of the concrete increases, leading to higher long-term water absorption.

The increase in water absorption with higher ceramic waste content could be due to the inherent porosity of ceramic materials and the potential for creating more interconnected void spaces within the concrete matrix. This can enhance water ingress, making the concrete more susceptible to moisture-related damage over time, such as freeze-thaw cycles, chemical attacks, and deterioration due to wetting and drying.

The findings highlight the importance of optimizing the percentage of ceramic waste used as a replacement for coarse aggregate in concrete. While using ceramic waste promotes sustainability by recycling waste materials, there are trade-offs in terms of the concrete’s durability and performance, especially concerning water absorption. For structural applications where water resistance is critical, limiting the ceramic waste replacement to lower percentages, such as 10% or 20%, may be more appropriate. For non-structural applications or where higher water absorption is not a concern, higher replacement levels could be considered to maximize the environmental benefits of waste recycling.

Overall, further research and mix design optimization are needed to balance the benefits of ceramic waste incorporation with the desired performance characteristics of concrete in various applications. Models with higher complexity, such as ANN 22 (4-2-3-1), showed better generalization capabilities. However, simpler models (like ANN 2) were still effective at capturing trends in the data. Table 3. The different architecture of ANN used for concrete with ceramic waste

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Table 3
The different architecture of ANN used for concrete with ceramic waste.

The performance of the ANN models generally varies with their complexity. Models with more neurons and layers, like ANN 4 (4-4-1) and ANN 9 (4-9-1), often perform well in training, suggesting they are capable of capturing more complex patterns. However, this does not always translate to better generalization, as indicated by their testing performance. Overfitting can be a concern with more complex models, as seen with ANN 4, which had a lower testing R2 of 0.794 despite high training performance. Models like ANN 2 (4-2-1) and ANN 17 (4-2-2-1) that showed high R2 values in testing indicate better generalization capabilities. This could be due to an optimal balance between the complexity of the model and the amount of data used for training, allowing them to capture the essential patterns without overfitting. The variability in performance across different models suggests that the inclusion of ceramic waste aggregate introduces a level of complexity that the models need to account for. The best-performing models on the testing data likely capture the nuances in how ceramic waste affects chloride diffusivity.

Further optimization, such as regularization techniques or hyperparameter tuning, may improve model performance. Additionally, exploring alternative neural network architectures, like convolutional or recurrent neural networks, could offer insights into better capturing complex relationships in the data, especially for predicting properties like chloride diffusivity in concrete with ceramic waste aggregates.

Overall, the ANN models demonstrate the potential for predicting concrete properties when incorporating recycled materials, with some architectures showing strong predictive capabilities and others highlighting the need for further refinement. Table 4. Showing the regression values for chloride diffusivity in concrete made of ceramic waste as coarse aggregate. The accuracy of these models suggests that ANNs can be a powerful tool for predicting properties like compressive strength and water absorption in concrete with ceramic waste aggregates.

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Table 4
Showing the regression values for chloride diffusivity in concrete made of ceramic waste as coarse aggregate.

The performance of ANN models in predicting chloride diffusivity for concrete containing ceramic waste as coarse aggregate varies depending on the architecture used. Some models exhibit strong generalization capabilities, while others may overfit or underfit the training data. The choice of architecture impacts the complexity and flexibility of the model, influencing how well it can learn from the data and generalize to new situations.

For practical applications, selecting models like ANN 5, ANN 11, or ANN 22, which have both high training and testing R2 values, would be ideal as they offer a good balance between learning from the data and generalizing to new scenarios. Increasing the complexity of the model architecture (e.g., more neurons or layers) can improve training performance but may also lead to overfitting. It’s essential to find a balance where the model is neither too simple (underfitting) nor too complex (overfitting). The accuracy and generalization ability of ANN models heavily depend on the quality and quantity of the training data. More diverse and extensive datasets can help improve model performance and ensure better generalization. Figure 10. ANN network optimum to predict chloride diffusivity.

Figure 10
ANN network optimum to predict chloride diffusivity.

5. CONCLUSIONS

Crushed ceramic waste can be effectively used as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate in concrete, improving certain properties such as compressive strength and reducing water absorption and chloride diffusivity up to a 20–40% replacement level. However, higher replacement levels may negatively impact the concrete’s durability and strength. The study also demonstrates the potential of ANN models in predicting the properties of such concrete, with some architectures showing strong predictive capabilities. To optimize the use of ceramic waste in concrete and the performance of predictive models, further research, mix design optimization, and model refinement are recommended.

The highest compressive strength is observed at 30% and 40% replacement levels, with strengths around 42 MPa, which is a significant improvement over the control mix (35 MPa). This suggests that partial replacement of coarse aggregate with ceramic waste up to this level is beneficial for strength.

The high ceramic content could introduce pathways for chloride ions due to the material’s porosity and surface roughness, potentially reducing the concrete’s durability against chloride attack.

While initial absorption rates are similar for low replacement levels (up to 10%), higher ceramic content results in increased absorption rates. Higher long-term water absorption, especially at replacement levels above 50%, suggests that concrete’s resistance to moisture-related damage could be compromised, which is a critical consideration for applications in aggressive environments.

Models like ANN 2 (4-2-1), ANN 5 (4-5-1), ANN 11 (4-1-1-1), and ANN 22 (4-2-3-1) demonstrate high testing R2 values, indicating good generalization capabilities. These models strike a balance between capturing complex patterns in the data and avoiding overfitting.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    22 Nov 2024
  • Date of issue
    2024

History

  • Received
    26 Aug 2024
  • Accepted
    07 Oct 2024
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