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Advances in Machine Learning for the Prediction of Construction Materials Properties

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Simulation and Design".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 671

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates
Interests: machine learning; deep learning and hybrid models; construction materials; material properties prediction; data-driven modeling; soils and unbound aggregates; cementitious composites; asphalt binders and mixtures

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Machine learning (ML) is revolutionizing the field of construction materials by offering powerful, data-driven methods to predict a wide spectrum of material properties—ranging from empirical and mechanical to rheological, thermal, and performance-related characteristics. Traditional experimental approaches, though foundational, are often time-consuming, costly, and limited in their ability to capture complex material interactions. ML addresses these limitations by enabling rapid, accurate, and automated predictions using historical data, advanced statistical modeling, and computational algorithms. This Special Issue, “Advances in Machine Learning for the Prediction of Construction Materials Properties”, is dedicated to cutting-edge research that explores the use of ML techniques for modeling and optimizing the properties of critical construction materials, including soils, unbound aggregates, cementitious composites, and asphalt mixtures. Emphasis is placed on how ML can significantly minimize testing time and reduce the reliance on extensive laboratory programs without compromising prediction reliability. Innovations such as deep neural networks, support vector machines, and ensemble learning are capable of modeling nonlinear and multi-factorial behaviors that conventional empirical models cannot capture. These tools are reshaping the way we design, test, and manage materials in civil engineering applications, paving the way for a more sustainable, efficient, and resilient built environment.

Dr. Waleed Abdelaziz Zeiada
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • machine learning, deep learning, and hybrid models
  • construction materials
  • material properties prediction
  • data-driven modeling
  • soils and unbound aggregates
  • cementitious composites
  • asphalt binders and mixtures

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 8928 KB  
Article
Dynamic Fracture Strength Prediction of HPFRC Using a Feature-Weighted Linear Ensemble Approach
by Xin Cai, Yunmin Wang, Yihan Zhao, Liye Chen and Jifeng Yuan
Materials 2025, 18(17), 4097; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18174097 - 1 Sep 2025
Viewed by 524
Abstract
Owing to its excellent crack resistance and durability, High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (HPFRC) has been extensively applied in engineering structures exposed to extreme loading conditions. The Mode I dynamic fracture strength of HPFRC under high-strain-rate conditions exhibits significant strain-rate sensitivity and nonlinear response characteristics. [...] Read more.
Owing to its excellent crack resistance and durability, High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (HPFRC) has been extensively applied in engineering structures exposed to extreme loading conditions. The Mode I dynamic fracture strength of HPFRC under high-strain-rate conditions exhibits significant strain-rate sensitivity and nonlinear response characteristics. However, existing experimental methods for strength measurement are limited by high costs and the absence of standardized testing protocols. Meanwhile, conventional data-driven models for strength prediction struggle to achieve both high-precision prediction and physical interpretability. To address this, this study introduces a dynamic fracture strength prediction method based on a feature-weighted linear ensemble (FWL) mechanism. A comprehensive database comprising 161 sets of high-strain-rate test data on HPFRC fracture strength was first constructed. Key modeling variables were then identified through correlation analysis and an error-driven feature selection approach. Subsequently, six representative machine learning models (KNN, RF, SVR, LGBM, XGBoost, MLPNN) were employed as base learners to construct two types of ensemble models, FWL and Voting, enabling a systematic comparison of their performance. Finally, the predictive mechanisms of the models were analyzed for interpretability at both global and local scales using SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) and LIME (Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations) methods. The results demonstrate that the FWL model achieved optimal predictive performance on the test set (R2 = 0.908, RMSE = 2.632), significantly outperforming both individual models and the conventional ensemble method. Interpretability analysis revealed that strain rate and fiber volume fraction are the primary factors influencing dynamic fracture strength, with strain rate demonstrating a highly nonlinear response mechanism across different ranges. The integrated prediction framework developed in this study offers the combined advantages of high accuracy, robustness, and interpretability, providing a novel and effective approach for predicting the fracture behavior of HPFRC under high-strain-rate conditions. Full article
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