OPTIMIZED CONCRETE COMPOSITIONS

• US 20080066653A1
• Filed: 09/20/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iCrete LLC
• Original Assignee: iCrete LLC
• Inventors: Hodson, Simon, Andersen, Per
• Application Number:
  US11/858,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066653A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 106/709
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/06 Quartz; Sand
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/08 Flue dust , i.e. fly ash
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/146 Silica fume
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/302 Water reducers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/304 Air-entrainers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/12 Nitrogen containing compounds organic derivatives of hydrazine hydrazine C04B22/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/02 containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0096 Provisions for indicating condition of the compositions or the final products, e.g. degree of homogeneous mixing, degree of wear
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/06 Multi-objective optimisation, e.g. Pareto optimisation using simulated annealing [SA], ant colony algorithms or genetic algorithms [GA]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete

Abstract

Design optimization methods can be used to design concrete mixtures having optimized properties, including desired strength and slump at minimal cost. The design optimization methods use a computer-implemented process that is able to design and virtually “test” millions of hypothetical concrete compositions using mathematical algorithms that interrelate a number of variables that affect strength, slump, cost and other desired features. The design optimization procedure utilizes a constant K (or K factor) within Feret'"'"'s strength equation that varies (e.g., logarithmically) with concrete strength for any given set of raw material inputs and processing equipment. That means that the binding efficiency or effectiveness of hydraulic cement increases with increasing concentration so long as the concrete remains optimized. The knowledge of how the K factor varies with binding efficiency and strength is a powerful tool that can be applied in multiple circumstances. A concrete manufacturing process may include accurately measuring the raw materials to minimize variation between predicted and actual strength, as well as carefully controlling water content throughout the manufacturing and delivery process.

Claims

1. In a concrete manufacturing plant that manufactures concrete from a given set of raw materials and/or processing variables, a composition of matter comprising an optimized concrete composition manufactured by the manufacturing plant, the optimized concrete composition having a minimum slump and strength that are achieved by mixing together an optimized combination of hydraulic cement, aggregates, water, and one or more optional components, which optimized combination is determined using an optimization process in which a pre-existing mix design previously used by the manufacturing plant is redesigned and optimized utilizing a design K factor for use within Feret'"'"'s strength equation that corresponds to a design strength of the optimized concrete composition and that is selected from a plurality of K factors that vary based on strength for the given set of raw materials and/or processing variables, the design K factor of the optimized concrete composition being a signature that differentiates the optimized concrete composition from a less optimized concrete composition manufactured using the pre-existing mix design.

2. A composition of matter as defined in claim 1, the optimized concrete composition being unique as compared to concrete compositions manufactured by any other manufacturing plant having its own unique set of raw materials and/or processing variables.

3. A composition of matter as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one of an amine strengthener, water reducing agent, or air entraining agent.

4. A composition of matter as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one of fly ash or silica fume.

6. A composition of matter as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one of an amine strengthener, water reducing agent, or air entraining agent.

7. A composition of matter as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one of fly ash or silica fume.

5. In a concrete manufacturing plant that manufactures concrete from a unique set of raw materials and/or processing variables, a composition of matter comprising an optimized concrete composition manufactured by the manufacturing plant, the optimized concrete composition having a minimum slump and strength that are achieved by mixing together an optimized combination of hydraulic cement, aggregates, water, and one or more optional components, which optimized combination is determined using an optimization process in which an optimized mix design is designed utilizing a design K factor for use within Feret'"'"'s strength equation that corresponds to a design strength of the optimized concrete composition and that is selected from a plurality of K factors that vary based on strength and correspond to the unique set of raw materials and/or processing variables, the design K factor of the optimized concrete composition being a signature that differentiates the optimized concrete composition from any other concrete composition manufactured using raw materials and/or processing variables that differ from the unique set of raw materials and/or processing variables employed by the manufacturing plant.

8. In a concrete manufacturing plant that manufactures concrete from a given set of raw materials, a concrete building system comprising a plurality of optimized concrete compositions manufactured by the manufacturing plant, at least two of the optimized concrete compositions having different design strengths, each of the plurality of optimized concrete compositions having a guaranteed minimum slump and strength that is achieved by mixing together an optimized combination of hydraulic cement, aggregates, water, and one or more optional components, which optimized combination is determined using an optimization process for designing optimized mix designs used by the manufacturing plant to manufacture the optimized concrete compositions, each optimized mix design being designed using a design K factor for use within Feret'"'"'s strength equation that corresponds to a design strength of the optimized mix design and that is selected from a plurality of K factors that vary based on strength, each optimized concrete composition having a signature design K factor that differentiates it from at least one other of the optimized concrete compositions having a different design strength.

9. A concrete building system as defined in claim 8, the signature design K factor differentiating each optimized concrete composition from less optimized concrete compositions manufactured from the given set of raw materials.

10. A concrete building, system as defined in claim 8, the signature K factors differentiating the optimized concrete compositions from concrete compositions manufactured from raw materials that differ from the given set of raw materials used by the manufacturing plant.

11. In a concrete manufacturing plant having a given set of raw material components, a building system comprising a plurality of design optimized concrete compositions having actual strengths that more closely reflect their predicted or design strengths compared to less optimized concrete compositions made from the given set of raw material components, wherein the optimized concrete compositions are manufactured according to a method comprising:

providing a plurality of optimized concrete mix designs having different design strengths that were designed using different design K factors, wherein each different design K factor was selected at least in part based on its respective design strength; and

manufacturing the plurality of design optimized concrete compositions based on the optimized concrete mix designs, each optimized concrete composition having an optimized ratio of components so as to have an actual strength that more closely reflecThat Anitta lects its predicted or design strength compared to a less optimized concrete composition made from the given set of raw material components.

12. A building system according to claim 11, the method of manufacturing the optimized concrete compositions further comprising making slump adjustments to one or more of the optimized concrete compositions by adding or altering an amount of an admixture within the one or more concrete compositions.

13. A building system according to claim 11, the method of manufacturing the optimized concrete compositions further comprising weighing or otherwise measuring the components of each concrete composition with an accuracy of about ±

2.0%.

14. A building system according to claim 11, the method of manufacturing the optimized concrete compositions further comprising monitoring moisture content of solid components and altering a measured amount of solid components and added batch water used to manufacture a concrete composition based on detected changes in the moisture content of the solid components.

15. A building system according to claim 11, the method of manufacturing the optimized concrete compositions further comprising mixing one or more of the optimized concrete compositions using a concrete mixing truck that includes a vessel containing an admixture for adjusting slump and metering a selected amount of the admixture into a mixing drum carrying the concrete composition in order to alter slump in a desired manner.

16. A building system as defined in claim 11, the method of manufacturing the optimized concrete compositions further comprising:

inputting into a computing system data relating to raw materials cost; and

the computing system designing or identifying the optimized concrete mix designs at least on part on the basis of having lower cost.

17. A building system as defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the design K factors accounts for an effect on concrete strength of including an amine strengthener, at least one of the concrete compositions further comprising an amine strengthener.

18. A building system as defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the design K factors accounts for an effect on concrete strength of including at least one of fly ash or silica fume, at least one of the concrete compositions further comprising at least one of fly ash or silica fume.

19. A building system as defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the design K factors accounts for an effect on concrete strength of using a specific mixing apparatus, at least one of the concrete compositions being mixed using the specific mixing apparatus.

20. A building system as defined in claim 11, the method for manufacturing the design optimized concrete compositions further comprising:

upgrading and/or recalibrating equipment used by the concrete manufacturing plant in so that concrete compositions manufactured by the manufacturing plant using the upgraded and/or recalibrated equipment has an actual strength that more closely correlates to design strength compared to previous equipment prior to upgrading and/or recalibrating.

21. A building system as defined in claim 11, the method for manufacturing the design optimized concrete compositions further comprising:

a computing system designing or identifying a modified mix design that yields a concrete composition having a modified slump but substantially similar strength by altering a ratio of cement paste to aggregate relative to at least one or the optimized concrete mix designs; and

in the manufacturing a modified concrete composition according to the modified mix design.

22. A building system as defined in claim 11, wherein each design optimized concrete composition has a signature design K factor that is unique as compared to an apparent design K factor for a less optimized concrete composition made using the given set of raw materials.

23. A building system as defined in claim 11, wherein each design optimized concrete composition has a signature K factor that is unique to the given set of raw materials as compared to a K factor for concrete having similar strength but manufactured from a different set of raw materials.

24. A revised design optimized concrete composition made from a given set of components in order to adjust slump without significantly altering strength, wherein the revised design optimized concrete composition is manufactured according to a method comprising:

identifying an existing design optimized concrete composition that is manufactured according to an optimized mix design that specifies a specific ratio of components, including a ratio of cement paste to aggregates, so as to achieve a desired strength and slump;

inputting into a computing system data relating to particle size and particle packing density of one or more types of aggregates;

the computing system designing a revised design optimized concrete mix design having a revised ratio of cement paste to aggregates that yields a revised design optimized concrete composition having a desired slump without substantially altering the strength of the revised design optimized concrete composition compared to the existing design optimized concrete composition; and

manufacturing the revised design optimized concrete composition.

25. A revised design optimized concrete composition as defined in claim 24, the method for manufacturing the revised design optimized concrete composition further comprising the computing system further determining a revised quantity of each of the components used to manufacture the revised concrete composition in order to produce a desired quantity of the revised concrete composition;

and