Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Three-Component Concrete Containing Microsilica ,Slag and Rice Husk Ash and Developing using Artificial Neural Network Method

The use of pozzolans to make concrete with suitable and durable mechanical properties has found a special place in the last decade; because the use of these materials reduces the consumption of cement and consequently reduces environmental pollution. In the meantime, knowing the optimal amount as well as the effect of pozzolans has been an important and challenging aspect that many researchers have focused on. In this study, an attempt was made to make concrete with suitable mechanical properties using three types of high-consumption pozzolans, namely microsilica, rice husk ash and furncae slag. The compressive strength of 7, 28, and 90 days, as well as the three-point flexural strength of the experiments, was performed separately and in combination to investigate the effect of the use of these pozzolans. In this study, a wide range of alternative values of pozzolan was considered so that in addition to knowing how these pozzolanes are affected, the optimal percentage for each of the pozzolanes used can also be determined. Experimental results have shown that the effect of using microsilica separately from furncae slag is more severe. In addition, the effect of the utilization of pozzolans in combination is positive in improving the compressive strength of concrete specimens and only reduces the compressive strength at an early age. With the exception of samples containing low levels of pozzolan, other specimens cause a decrease in compressive strength at an early age. The potential for pozzolans can be an important factor in reducing resistance to overus. The electrical resistance of concrete samples containing pozzolan was higher than the control specimen, which indicates a denser structure of concrete at the age of 90. The proposed artificial neural network based on the experimental data was able to predict the compressive strength of concrete containing different pozzolan in various ages.