Mathematical modeling and artificial neural network of textile fabric reinforced foamed concrete for enhanced composite material performance

The construction industry is increasingly seeking sustainable and cost-effective solutions to improve the properties of foamed concrete (FC). While textile fabric reinforced mortar (TRM) systems have been widely studied for external strengthening applications, this research focuses on the use of textile fabric as internal reinforcement in FC, aiming to enhance its mechanical and durability properties. This study investigates the mechanical and durability properties of textile fabric reinforced foamed concrete (TFRFC), focusing on its potential as an internal reinforcement material for enhancing the performance of FC in structural applications. Two densities of FC, 600 kg/m³ and 1200 kg/m³, were tested with three textile fabric configurations (1-layer, 2-layers, and 3-layers). The experimental program evaluated the compressive, flexural, and splitting tensile strengths, alongside durability properties such as water absorption, porosity, and drying shrinkage. The results revealed significant improvements in material properties with the inclusion of textile fabric; compressive strength increased by up to 59% for 600 kg/m³ and 28% for 1200 kg/m³ at 7 days with three layers of fabric. Additionally, water absorption decreased by 15%, and porosity was reduced by up to 11%. The drying shrinkage was notably reduced by 80–95% with three fabric layers, demonstrating the fabric’s effectiveness in mitigating shrinkage. An artificial neural network (ANN) model, developed from a dataset of 576 samples, predicted the compressive strength of TFRFC with an R² value of 0.99. This study emphasizes the viability of textile fabric as an internal reinforcement, providing a cost-effective and sustainable solution for improving the mechanical and durability properties of FC in structural applications.