Developing a comprehensive prediction model for compressive strength of fly ash-based geopolymer concrete (FAGC)

Abstract

Geopolymer concrete is an eco-friendly alternative of traditional concrete that uses the waste materials as the cementitious material. The lack of standard mix design for geopolymer concrete is the main problem for using it in the construction industry. This study presents a comprehensive model for predicting the compressive strength of fly ash-based geopolymer concrete (FAGC) based on the chemical compositions of its constituents. To achieve this goal, one hundred sixty-two mix designs were collected from the published papers between the years 2000 and 2020. The Bayesian linear regression algorithm was used to discover the relation between input and output variables. The results highlighted the importance and impact of the chemical compositions of fly ash and sodium silicate solution on the compressive strength of FAGC, and these parameters could clearly explain differences among optimum mix designs obtained in past studies. Finally, the proposed model could estimate the compressive strength of low calcium FAGC with acceptable accuracy, which can save time and money.