Using Decades of Data to Rethink Proportioning and Optimisation of FRC Mixes: The OptiFRC Project

Fibres enhance the mechanical properties of concrete, but residual flexural strength parameters present significant variability. The proportioning and optimisation of FRC should integrate fresh and hardened state properties as well as their variability, and this is the urgent challenge addressed by this project funded by the ACI Foundation. It follows a meta-analytical, multivariate approach, based on the creation of an exhaustive database with information on hundreds of FRC mixes compiled from papers published over two decades and adopting a data analytics perspective. First, the relationships between the relative amounts of the mix constituents, fibre geometry and dosage are modelled. Then, the strong correlations between residual flexural strength parameters, limit of proportionality, and compressive strength are exploited to develop efficient predictive tools. The final outcome will be a software package called “OptiFRC”. This will integrate capabilities to access the database compiled, to visualise and utilise the models for the optimisation of FRC mix proportionings, and to calibrate and use the derived quality control charts. This paper presents an overview of the project, reports on its progress to date and summarises the ongoing developments and anticipated impact.