Static Compression Experiments Research Articles

Design and laboratory evaluation of spring washers as railway baseplate hold-down method to mitigate spike failures

The rising popularity of elastic railroad fasteners for use in timber sleeper tracks, delineated through their wide adoption across the North American freight network, is facing resistance since the derailment data attributes at least 13 derailments in last two decades to spike failures in sleepers leveraging these elastic fasteners. Previous investigations of the spike failure mechanism illustrated that rail baseplate uplift induced by the rail’s wave-action during a train pass reduces friction at the plate-sleeper interface. This loss in friction transfers additional load (e.g., lateral and longitudinal) to spikes and causes the stress levels to exceed the endurance limits. Although installation of spikes with spring washers was suggested to restrain the baseplate uplift, the industry recommended Fe6 washers demonstrate inadequate resiliency (i.e., working range) resulting in failure to maintain the required hold-down load over time. To characterize the appropriate spring washer for spike failure mitigation, this paper presents an overview of the design criteria driven by engineering design standards while accommodating the standard fastener components. Moreover, this study quantifies the load and resiliency demands from spring washers based on spike pullout experiments as well as existing correlations and pertinent studies in the literature. Consequently, the maximum and minimum recommended hold-down installation loads are 22.2 kN (5000 lbs) and 4.5 kN (1000 lbs.), respectively, to protect the sleeper from premature failure while simultaneously reducing spike stress by 70%. To identify a washer that has an adequate working range, static compression experiments were carried out on a set of nine commercial and non-commercial washers. Results indicate that at least two of the washers considered – the Fe19 and polyurethane washer – can achieve working ranges that are 69% and 93% wider, respectively, with a 68% reduced timber stress compared to the baseline Fe6 washer. Results of this work provide insights into the selection of proper spring washer and the magnitude of installation load to mitigate spike failures.

Electrical Conductivity of Dense MgSiO3 Melt Under Static Compression

AbstractThe magnetic fields of terrestrial planets are created by core convection. Molten silicate mantles could also generate magnetic fields through their convective motion, known as a silicate dynamo. Recent computational studies have suggested that silicate melts may exhibit high electrical conductivity (EC) at temperatures above 4000 K due to strong electronic conduction, which could activate a silicate dynamo. We determined the EC of dense molten MgSiO3 up to 71 GPa and 4490 K by static compression experiments. It jumped by one order of magnitude upon melting, but 57(27) S/m at 4490 K is much lower than previous predictions, suggesting that molten MgSiO3 carries charge via ions rather than predicted electronic conduction. Nevertheless, the strong temperature dependence of the ionic conductivity found in this study suggests that super‐Earths’ hotter magma ocean with larger‐scale convection could power a dynamo that drives magnetic fields, which plays key roles in sustaining planetary surface environments.

Strength-toughness matching mechanisms of a boride-reinforced Ti6Al4V compositionally graded material fabricated using spark plasma sintering

In this work, an in-situ boride-reinforced Ti6Al4V compositionally graded material was prepared successfully by spark plasma sintering (SPS), and exhibited a good potential for military application because of its stepwise transition properties from a high-toughness end to a high-strength end along the thin-thickness direction. Microstructure characterization shows the chemical gradient ranged from 0 to 30 wt% TiB2 along the thickness direction, which was correlated with increasing micro-hardness values ranging from 565±5HV to 1270±5HV, respectively. The strength-toughness matching mechanisms of the gradient composites with different compositional gradients were discussed based on the static compression experiments and the dynamic Hopkinson compression rod experiments. The primary phases of the gradient composites included the α-Ti phase, β-Ti phase, remained TiB2 and in-situ formed whisker-like TiB phases. The composites with a compositional gradient of G84 (0, 0, 15, 30 wt%) exhibited the best impact resistance which achieved a good balance of high toughness and strength, and exhibited a compressive strength of 2148±5 MPa and a good elongation of 20 ± 0.5%. The strength-toughness matching mechanisms can be explained by the dispersion strengthening effect due to the presence of the in-situ formed TiB phase, and the consumption of more fracture energy by dislocation defects, which can prevent the crack propagation. Moreover, the pull-out of the whisker-like TiB phases toughened the gradient composites furthermore. This research demonstrated a reliable method for preparing TiB2/Ti–6Al-4Vgradient composites with high-impact resistance.

Equation of state for tungsten obtained by direct solving the partition function

Utilization of metal tungsten (W) as the structural material or pressure scale requires accurate knowledge of the equation of state (EOS), which is far beyond the available experimental measurements. In the present work, a direct integral approach (DIA) with ultrahigh efficiency was applied to calculate the EOS of W up to 500 GPa and 3000 K with ab initio calculations. Compared with previous static compression experiments up to 150 GPa under room temperature and 35 GPa at high temperatures up to 1673 K, all the deviations of the calculated pressure are within or comparable to the uncertainty of experiments. Predictions for higher-temperature and simultaneously higher-pressure EOS up to 300 GPa and 3000 K differ slightly from the comprehensive analysis by Litasov et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 113, 133505 (2013)] via fitting available experimental data with the empirical equation. These results indicate that the EOS of crystal W obtained from DIA should be convincible, and DIA without any empirical or artificial parameters may find its wide applications for predicting thermodynamic properties of condensed matter in the future.

A novel artificial vertebral implant with Gyroid porous structures for reducing the subsidence and mechanical failure rate after vertebral body replacement

BackgroundProsthesis subsidence and mechanical failure were considered significant threats after vertebral body replacement during the long-term follow-up. Therefore, improving and optimizing the structure of vertebral substitutes for exceptional performance has become a pivotal challenge in spinal reconstruction.MethodsThe study aimed to develop a novel artificial vertebral implant (AVI) with triply periodic minimal surface Gyroid porous structures to enhance the safety and stability of prostheses. The biomechanical performance of AVIs under different loading conditions was analyzed using the finite element method. These implants were fabricated using selective laser melting technology and evaluated through static compression and subsidence experiments.ResultsThe results demonstrated that the peak stress in the Gyroid porous AVI was consistently lower than that in the traditional porous AVI under all loading conditions, with a maximum reduction of 73.4%. Additionally, it effectively reduced peak stress at the bone-implant interface of the vertebrae. Static compression experiments demonstrated that the Gyroid porous AVI was about 1.63 times to traditional porous AVI in terms of the maximum compression load, indicating that Gyroid porous AVI could meet the safety requirement. Furthermore, static subsidence experiments revealed that the subsidence tendency of Gyroid porous AVI in polyurethane foam (simulated cancellous bone) was approximately 15.7% lower than that of traditional porous AVI.ConclusionsThe Gyroid porous AVI exhibited higher compressive strength and lower subsidence tendency than the strut-based traditional porous AVI, indicating it may be a promising substitute for spinal reconstruction.

The protective performance of rubber pads for penetration fuze

To ensure the reliable functioning of hard target-penetration fuze on the battlefield, this study focuses on research related to fuze protective pads. The main factors causing fuze functional failure are summarized, and a simplified model of projectile penetration into target plates is established. The design conditions for the yield stress parameter of the fuze casing material are derived based on stress wave propagation theory. Modal analysis of the projectile is conducted using dynamic simulation software ANSYS to determine its vibration modes and low-pass filtering frequency. Static compression experiments are performed on different rubber materials (nitrile rubber, fluorine rubber, silicone rubber, and natural rubber) to obtain stress–strain curves and constitutive model parameters. Marshall hammer tests were carried out on rubber pads of different materials and thicknesses, confirming the validity of the simulation results and the feasibility of rubber filtering. The study indicates that when using a 2 mm thick rubber pad for protection, natural rubber provides the best protection. When using a 6 mm thick rubber pad, nitrile rubber shows the best protective performance. Under a 13-tooth tooling impact load, the best protection is achieved using a 2 mm thick natural rubber pad. When using a 6 mm thick pad, silicone rubber provides the best protection. Under a 15-tooth tooling impact load, fluorine rubber provides the best protection when using a 2 mm thick pad, while silicone rubber offers the best protection when using a 6 mm thick pad. Under a 17-tooth tooling impact load, natural rubber offers the best protection when using a 2 mm thick pad, and fluorine rubber demonstrates the best protection when using a 6 mm thick pad. The obtained research results provide a reference for protective methods of hard target-penetration fuze.

In situ time-resolved Raman spectroscopy of nitromethane under static and dynamic compression

Energetic materials are extensively used as propellants in rockets demanding the understanding of their chemical and thermal stability for safe storage and transportation as well as ease of decomposition. Nitromethane (NM) is one such material with significant performance advantage over other mono propellants. In this manuscript, we report the detailed molecular-level behavior of NM under static and dynamic compression. Dynamic compression experiments were performed up to ∼6.4 GPa using a 2 J/8 ns Nd: YAG laser coupled with time-resolved Raman spectroscopy (TRRS) setup. Static compression experiments were performed up to ∼20 GPa using a diamond anvil cell. During laser-driven shock compression, NM undergoes three phase transitions at 1.1, 2.5, and 3.4 GPa. However, in the case of static compression, the corresponding phase transitions were observed at 0.3, 1.3–1.8, and 2.5 GPa. TRRS was also performed at 300 mJ (1.47 GW/cm2), 500 mJ (2.45 GW/cm2), and 800 mJ (3.9 GW/cm2) and intensity ratios of shocked and un-shocked Raman peaks were utilized to experimentally calculate the shock velocities, which were determined to be 2.66 ± 0.09, 3.58 ± 0.40, and 3.83 ± 0.60 km/s, respectively. These experimental results were corroborated with the one-dimensional (1D) radiation hydrodynamics simulations, performed to obtain shock pressure. The shock velocities at these laser intensities were calculated to be 2.98, 3.69, and 3.92 km/s, respectively, which are in reasonably close agreement with our observed results.

Equation of state of ammonia dihydrate up to 112 GPa by static and dynamic compression experiments in diamond anvil cells

Understanding the high-pressure behavior of ammonia hydrates is relevant for modeling the interior of solar and extrasolar icy bodies. We present here the results of high-pressure x-ray diffraction studies on ammonia-dihydrate (ADH) at room temperature (298 K) up to 112 GPa, employing both static and dynamic compression experiments performed in diamond anvil cells. The derived pressure-volume (P-V) compression curves are in excellent agreement regardless of the compression technique. In contrast to early theoretical predictions, our results indicate the stability of the disordered molecular alloy (DMA) phase, a body centered cubic (bcc) structure, and the absence of self-ionization in the investigated pressure range. By combining the P-V data from seven different compression runs, we derive the first equation of state for ADH-DMA based on the third-order Birch-Murnaghan formalism with best-fit parameters: ${V}_{0}=23.96\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$ (${\AA{}}^{3}$/molecule), ${B}_{0}=9.95\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.14$ GPa, and ${B}_{0}^{\ensuremath{'}}=6.59\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$. The instantaneous bulk modulus directly derived from the quasicontinuous compression curves displays a smooth increase upon compression that further supports the absence of structural transitions.

Preparation and performance study of modified soybean oil polyurethane foam used for soccer equipment

AbstractSoccer is known as the world's largest sport and has a wide range of players. Most of the materials used in existing football equipment are polyurethane extracted from petrochemical resources, which are gradually reduced and non‐renewable. Finding an alternative new material is an inevitable trend. Soybean oil (SO) was quantitatively transformed into polyols to afford industrially important high resilience flexible polyurethane foam(HR‐PUF). Photoinduced thiol‐ene click chemistry was investigated for the efficient preparation of modified soybean oil polyols (MESO) with primary hydroxyl groups. In order to improve the reaction efficiency and the degree of carbon–carbon double bonds functionalization, reduce reaction time, we have chosen a step‐by‐step method of adding. The effects of different reaction times and [thiol]/[ene] ratios on conversion and degree of functionalization were discussed. It is realized that under room temperature conditions, after 12 h of reaction, the carbon–carbon double bond of SO is almost completely converted and quantitatively converted into a hydroxyl group to a degree of 89%. The corresponding HR‐PUFs were prepared by mixing MESO with L2000 (Polyether Polyol). The effect of the difference in the amount of MESO added to the foam properties was investigated. Through the apparent density and a scanning electron microscope (SEM), it can be concluded that with the amount of MESO added increases, the cell size, opening ratio and the number of cells of HR‐PUF are decreased, the density is increased. Through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DMA), it was proved that the thermal stability of the foam increased with the addition of MESO. Through 40% compression strength (CLD40%), ball rebound experiments, and static compression experiment. It is proved that the increase of the addition of MESO, the rebound resilience of HR‐PUF can be improved.

Quasi-Zero Stiffness Isolator Suitable for Low-Frequency Vibration

This paper proposes a quasi-zero stiffness (QZS) isolator based on an inclined trapezoidal beam to explore its advantages in low-frequency passive vibration isolation. The nonlinear stiffness of the inclined trapezoidal beam due to the buckling effect is investigated through finite element simulation, and a linear positive stiffness spring is connected in parallel to form a QZS isolator with high-static and low-dynamic stiffness performance. The natural frequency of the isolator in the QZS region is simulated and analyzed, and the dynamic response of the QZS isolator under different damping ratios, excitation and load conditions is explored. The prototype of the QZS isolator was manufactured, and a static compression experiment was conducted to obtain its nonlinear stiffness. The dynamic experiment results verify the correctness of the simulation conclusions. The simulation and experimental data demonstrate that the QZS isolator has the characteristics of lower initial isolation frequency compared with the equivalent linear isolator. The proposed QZS isolator has an initial isolation frequency of 2.91 Hz and achieves a 90% isolation efficiency at 7.02 Hz. The proposed QZS isolator has great application prospects and can provide a reference for optimizing low-frequency or ultra-low-frequency isolators.

Design, microstructure, and mechanical property of negative Poisson's ratio porous structure fabricated by LPBF of AlCoCrFeNi2.1 eutectic high-entropy-alloy

Negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) materials are a type of structural materials that show an atypical deformation response. In general, metal-based porous materials with NPR do not have good mechanical properties due to the substrate's limited yield strength and plasticity, as the NPR behavior is unlikely to play a continuous role in the deformation. AlCoCrFeNi2.1, a eutectic high-entropy alloy (EHEA) with high yield strength and high ductility was used to fabricate the NPR structures by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) to enhance the structures mechanical properties and NPR behavior. Structures with four different sets of structural parameters were designed for this study. The microstructure and mechanical properties of AlCoCrFeNi2.1 EHEA, synthesized by LPBF were studied, and the strength and energy absorption effect of NPR porous structure materials were investigated by static and dynamic compression experiments. Research showed the large number of inter-phase interfaces provided by the nano-scale cellular eutectic microstructure effectively restrict dislocation movement, thereby enhancing the strength and toughness of this EHEA alloy, endowing it with superior impact resistance, fracture resistance, and mechanical energy absorption. The compressive performance and the mechanical energy absorption capacity of the 3D EHEA-based NPR porous structure strongly depend on the inclination angle Ф between the thick rod and the horizontal direction in the 2D single-body model design. The strength and energy absorption of the structure with a high inclination angle of 75° material are both higher than those of the structure with a low inclination angle of 45° by almost a factor of two.

Determination of Elastic Modulus, Stress Relaxation Time and Thermal Softening Index in ZWT Constitutive Model for Reinforced Al/PTFE.

Al/PTFE has the advantages of high impact-responsive energy release, appropriate sensitivity, a fast energy release rate, and high energy density, and it is increasingly widely being used in the field of ammunition. In this paper, based on the traditional formula Al/PTFE (26.5%/73.5%), the reinforced Al/PTFE active materials are prepared by the process of cold pressing, sintering, and rapid cooling. Quasi static and dynamic compression experiments were carried out under different compression pressures (200~800 MPa), strain rates (0.002 s-1, 0.02 s-1, 1400~3300 s-1), and temperatures (23 °C, -20 °C, -30 °C, -40 °C). The effects of pressure, strain rate, and temperature on the quasi-static and dynamic compression properties of Al/PTFE materials are analyzed. The results show that the reinforced Al/PTFE specimens show a significant correlation between temperature and strain rate. Based on the classical Zhu-Wang-Tang (ZWT) constitutive model, the ZWT constitutive model parameters of the reinforced Al/PTFE active materials under different pressing pressures at room temperature and the ZWT constitutive model parameters of the reinforced Al/PTFE active materials at low temperature are obtained by fitting, respectively. The accuracy of the constitutive model parameters (elastic modulus, stress relaxation time, and thermal softening index) is verified. In this paper, a constitutive model considering both temperature and strain rate effects is established in order to provide reference for the study of mechanical properties of active materials.

Ramp compression of tantalum to multiterapascal pressures: Constraints of the thermal equation of state to 2.3 TPa and 5000 K

The authors use intense laser pulses to compress solid tantalum to pressures in excess of 20 million atmospheres. By combing their experimental measurements with existing high-pressure, high-temperature data on Ta, they can create an experimentally bounded high-temperature equation of state that is valid up to multiterapascal pressures and thousands of degrees kelvin. The equation of state may serve as a useful pressure standard at the extreme compressions and elevated temperatures now achievable in state-of-the-art static compression experiments. This work also provides a clear road map for building an accurate high-temperature equation of state catalogue of materials at extreme conditions.

High pressure phase transition and strength estimate in polycrystalline alumina during laser-driven shock compression

Alumina (Al2O3) is an important ceramic material notable for its compressive strength and hardness. It represents one of the major oxide components of the Earth’s mantle. Static compression experiments have reported evidence for phase transformations from the trigonal α-corundum phase to the orthorhombic Rh2O3(II)-type structure at ∼90 GPa, and then to the post-perovskite structure at ∼130 GPa, but these phases have yet to be directly observed under shock compression. In this work, we describe laser-driven shock compression experiments on polycrystalline alumina conducted at the Matter in Extreme Conditions endstation of the Linac Coherent Light Source. Ultrafast x-ray pulses (50 fs, 1012 photons/pulse) were used to probe the atomic-level response at different times during shock propagation and subsequent pressure release. At 107 ± 8 GPa on the Hugoniot, we observe diffraction peaks that match the orthorhombic Rh2O3(II) phase with a density of 5.16 ± 0.03 g cm−3. Upon unloading, the material transforms back to the α-corundum structure. Upon release to ambient pressure, densities are lower than predicted assuming isentropic release, indicating additional lattice expansion due to plastic work heating. Using temperature values calculated from density measurements, we provide an estimate of alumina’s strength on release from shock compression.

Preparation and mechanical properties analysis of porous structure for bone tissue engineering.

With the increasing aging of population, the incidence rate of diseases such as fracture and osteoporosis has been increasing. The demand for implant in Department of orthopedics has increased. The elastic modulus of the existing solid metal implant is much higher than that of human bone tissue, and it is easy to produce stress shielding effect after operation, which causes complications such as loosening of prosthesis and low fusion efficiency. In order to solve the mismatch of elastic modulus between solid metal orthopedic implants and human bone tissue, metal structures with excellent mechanical properties were prepared. The porous structure was designed by spatial dot matrix method, and the metal porous structure was prepared based on selective laser melting 3D printing technology. The residual stress in the preparation process was eliminated by vacuum annealing heat treatment, and the static compression experiment was carried out to study the effects of different pore shape and porosity parameters on the compressive yield strength and elastic modulus of porous structure. The performance changes of porous structure before and after heat treatment were compared, and the porous structure meeting the performance requirements of human bone tissue was selected. The porous structure prepared by selective laser melting technology met the requirements of human bone tissue. The elastic modulus was as low as 0.74GPa and the compressive yield strength is 201.91MPa; After annealing heat treatment, the compressive yield strength of porous structure decreased, the maximum change was 3.69%, the elastic modulus increased, and the maximum change was 8.69%. For the porous structure with the same pore shape, the lower the porosity, the better the mechanical properties of the porous structure. For the same porosity, the comprehensive mechanical properties of dodecahedral porous structure were the best and octahedral porous structure was the worst; the porous structure after annealing heat treatment was more conducive to meet the performance requirements of human bone tissue.

Impact energy absorption composites with shear stiffening gel-filled negative poisson's ratio skeleton by Kirigami method

A new type of Negative Poisson's ratio skeleton composites (NPRSC) filled with shear stiffening gels (SSG) is presented in this work. The skeleton is manufactured by Kirigami method for a simplest folding process. Combined with the shear stiffening property of SSG and auxetic effect of Negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) skeleton, the flexible composites show excellent impact energy absorption performance. Static compression experiment displays that compared with Positive Poisson's ratio (PPR) skeleton, the NPR structure composed of re-entrant elements is more flexible with a lower initial compression modulus for its special curvature effect. Dynamic impact experiments and numerical simulation reveals that the auxetic effect of NPR skeleton further facilitates the dynamic shear stiffening property of SSG and helps to dissipate the stress transversely. Specifically, the NPR skeleton contributes to a lower peak load, higher energy absorption ratio (EAR) and specific energy absorption (SEA) cooperated with SSG. The NPRSC exhibits improved energy absorption with the increase of impact velocity due to the strain rate sensitivity of SSG. This method provides an innovative idea for the structural design of shear stiffening materials and may be widely applied in the field of intelligent protection.

Accurate equation of state of rhenium as pressure scale up to 130 GPa and 3200 K

The equations of states (EOSs) of inert metals are generally used as pressure scales in a high-pressure experiment. However, the thermodynamic model and the method used to constrain the parameters of the EOSs of these metals may cause pressure deviations of up to 7% at 100 GPa and room temperature, and even higher at higher pressures and higher temperatures. In this study, we provide a new approach for obtaining accurate EOS of inert metals. First, we use a set of thermodynamic models, within the quasi-Debye framework, to describe the thermodynamics. Second, both the volume vs pressure data from the shock compression experiment and the volume vs sound velocity data from the static compression experiment are used to constrain the parameters in the EOS formula. In the fitting process, a weighted least-square method based on the uncertainty of these data is used. The calculated Grüneisen parameter shows a strong dependence not only on volume but also on temperature. The variation of the Grüneisen parameter of Re can increase by up to 7% per 103 K under the same volume, which means the previous temperature-independent approximation of the Grüneisen parameter may cause an underestimate of the pressure at high temperature. The pressure–volume–temperature EOS of Re up to 140 GPa and 3200 K is established, which can be used as a high-pressure and high-temperature pressure gauge in the future.

Coupling influences of elevated temperature and strain rate on the behaviour of 6061-T6 aluminium alloy used as construction material

This work investigates the dynamic compressive behaviours of 6061-T6 aluminium alloy under varying temperatures (25, 100, 200, 250 and 300 °C) and strain rates of 0.001–4732 s−1, which is essential to analyse the performance of aluminium structures subjected to combined actions of fire and explosion/impact. Therefore, the static compression and dynamic impact experiments using a Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) were performed at elevated temperatures and the microstructural evolution of the tested specimens was examined. Based on these tests, the stress–strain relationships, influences of temperatures and strain rates as well as microstructures were discussed. Experimental results indicated that the dynamic mechanical performance of 6061-T6 alloy significantly depends on the temperature. In addition, a significant strain rate effect is found when the strain rate varies between 581 s−1 and 2109 s−1. The observation of microstructures presented that the grain size rises with an increasing temperature or a declining strain rate. Finally, the modified Johnson-Cook (J-C) model was suggested to describe the stress–strain responses and could give an acceptable prediction.

Tunable compression-torsion coupling effect in novel cylindrical tubular metamaterial architected with boomerang-shaped tetrachiral elements

Manipulation of cellular cylindrical tubes offers great opportunity to design functionalized materials and structures. In this study, inspired by the deformation mechanism of 2D perforated auxetic materials with peanut-shaped cuts, a new design for improving compression-torsion coupling (CTC) performance of tubular mechanical metamaterial is presented by introducing boomerang-shaped tetrachiral elements with curved ligaments, no longer limited to inclined straight ligaments. Static compression experiment and finite element simulation for the fabricated specimen by 3D printing reveal that the specimen exhibits promising CTC performance and the experimental results agree well with the numerical solutions. Moreover, the rotation angle of the tube approximately linearly increases with the increasing compression strain, except for the initial loading stage. Subsequently, the deformation mode of the present CTC tube is further illustrated by comparing to the existing CTC tubes including inclined straight ligaments. The curved ligament in the present design brings more flexible deformation than the straight one, and thus leads to better CTC property. Finally, the effects of controlling parameters on the CTC deformation are comprehensively analyzed to provide a deep understanding of the tunable design of compression-torsion tubular metamaterials for potential applications.

Prediction of Concrete Compressive Strength Using a Back-Propagation Neural Network Optimized by a Genetic Algorithm and Response Surface Analysis Considering the Appearance of Aggregates and Curing Conditions

In the present research, the authors have attempted to examine the compressive strength of conventional concrete, which is made using different aggregate sizes and geometries considering various curing temperatures. To this end, different aggregate geometries (rounded and angular) were utilized in various aggregate sizes (10, 20, and 30 mm) to prepare 108 rectangular cubic specimens. Then, the curing process was carried out in the vicinity of wind at different temperatures (5 °C < T < 30 °C). Next, the static compression experiments were performed on 28-day concrete specimens. Additionally, each test was repeated three times to check the repeatability of the results. Finally, the mean results were reported as the strength of concrete specimens. Response Surface Analysis (RSA) was utilized to determine the interaction effects of different parameters including the appearance of aggregates (shape and size) and curing temperature on the concrete strength. Afterwards, the optimum values of parameters were reported based on the RSA results to achieve maximum compressive strength. Moreover, to estimate concrete strength, a back-propagation neural network (OBPNN) optimized by a genetic algorithm (GA) was used. The findings of this study indicated that the developed neural network approach is greatly consistent with the experimental ones. Additionally, the compressive strength of concrete can be significantly increased (about 30%) by controlling the curing temperature in the range of 5–15 °C.