Development of an optimum mix design method for self-compacting concrete based on experimental results

The main objective of this study is to develop an optimum mix design method for self-compacting concrete (SCC) based on experimental results. For this purpose, mix design of self-compacting concrete is formulated as an optimization problem. Given the importance of manufacturing costs of concrete, the total cost of one cubic meter of self-compacting concrete is considered as the objective function in the optimization problem, which must be minimized. Limitation of the 28-day compressive strength and slump flow of self-compacting concrete are considered as the main inequality constraints. To ensure that sum of concrete components makes unit volume, an equality constraint is considered. To formulate the self-compacting concrete mix design optimization problem based on experimental data, forty-two different mix designs of self-compacting concrete are presented and three cylinder specimens are made and tested for each of them. Two mathematical models are developed to estimate the strength and the slump of the concrete and used to define the main constraints in the mix design optimization model. The concrete specimens are prepared in a construction site in Sanandaj in Iran. Considering importance of sand grading on the compressive strength of self-compacting concrete, stone powder is used to improve sand fineness modulus. The sequential quadratic programming is employed to solve the optimal mix design problem of self-compacting concrete based on proposed model. In order to verify the proposed method, the mix design problem is solved for several case studies and then the final optimal mix designs are made in laboratory and mechanical properties of specimens are evaluated. The results show that the proposed method satisfies the mechanical characteristics of the self-compacting concrete, besides minimizing the cost of the concrete and automating the mix design process.