Evaluation and predictive modelling of rheological, durability and integrity-related properties of concrete incorporating industrial waste ingredients

Abstract The growing environmental challenges posed by the cement industry have prompted researchers to seek sustainable alternatives in the construction sector. One promising solution is the use of industrial waste as partial substitutes for ordinary Portland cement in concrete. This study aims to investigate the effect of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and silica fume (SF) as secondary cementitious additives on concrete properties. A total of 13 concrete mixtures with varying GGBS and SF contents were prepared, cured for 28 days and tested for workability, ultrasonic sound velocity, total water absorption and drying shrinkage. The experimental results were analysed using polynomial regression models (Poly4) to develop predictive tools for each property. The developed models showed high accuracy in predicting the non-linear behaviour of concrete mixtures. The models demonstrated high prediction accuracy, with coefficients of determination ranging from 98.4% for workability, 99.99% for ultrasonic sound velocity, 99.76% for total water absorption and 95.5% to 98.4% for drying shrinkage over two- and four-week measurement periods. The results obtained from modelling analyses proved effective and reliable in capturing complex, nonlinear interactions between cement mixture components. They also optimized mixture designs. The current results provide important guidelines for improving the design of sustainable concrete mixtures and achieving better performance.