Predictive modeling of sustainable recycled materials for stone column construction

Abstract Climate change due to carbon dioxide emissions is one of the most significant global challenges. Sustainable recycled materials are recognized as a critical factor in mitigating climate change, representing a fundamental strategy for reducing gas emissions and preserving the environment. Promising sustainable recycled materials in construction, such as crushed asphalt, crushed concrete, crushed ceramic, and treated concrete offer numerous advantages, including reduced carbon dioxide $${\text{(CO}}_{2} )$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mtext>(CO</mml:mtext> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> emissions, cost-effectiveness, increased strength, and enhanced mechanical properties. In this study, various machine learning techniques, including the support vector machine (SVM), multiple linear regression (MLR), gaussian process regression (GPR), and artificial neural network (ANN), are used to assess the effectiveness of sustainable recycled materials within stone columns. The MLR model was specifically utilized to predict the ultimate stress equation for these materials within stone columns. Forty-five constructed samples were used in developing the models. The effectiveness of each model was evaluated using various statistical assessment measures, including mean absolute error (MAE), absolute fraction of variation ( $${\text{R}}^{2}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtext>R</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msup> </mml:math> ), and root mean square error (RMSE). The predictive model’s performance was validated using the k-fold cross-validation method. The ANN model with an $${\text{R}}^{2}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtext>R</mml:mtext> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msup> </mml:math> value of 0.962 and an RMSE value of 7.268 kPa, performed better compared to GPR, SVM and MLR models. In summary, the results of the study indicate that the MLR model, utilizing the identified input parameters, can accurately predict the ultimate stress for different sustainable recycled materials. Implementing such technologies within the construction sector can expedite and reduce the cost of assessing material characteristics and the influence of input parameters.