Optimization of Polymer Concrete Composites: Final Report

Published

August 1, 1999

Author(s)

L Czarnecki, A Garbacz, P Lukowski, J R. Clifton

Abstract

The main aim of the study was the development of a method for the design and optimization of polymer concrete composites, using a fundamental approach based on a material model of polymer concrete. The polymer concrete materials were characterized via their heterogeneity. Their important technical properties and the statistical evaluation of their heterogeneity are presented. Some aspects of the statistical design of experiments are described. It was shown that a material model of polymer concrete based on quadratic functions formed a suitable basis for its optimization. A comparative analysis of the material models of the two main groups of polymer concretes, epoxy and polyester concretes, was carried out. Graphical examples of model results are presented and the conclusions from the analyses are given. The overall desirability function was then used as the metric for the multi-criterion optimization of polymer concrete. This optimization process was applied to several particular polymer concrete composites of high interest, including polyester concrete with silica fume, highly-filled polyester concrete to reduce material costs, and epoxy concrete of low flammability and combustibility, was performed. Experimental validation of the results of the optimization process was carried out. Specific problems were solved using the computer program whose preparation was an important part of this joint project. The manual for this user-friendly program, which should be a generally useful tool for polymer concrete designers, has been published separately (see Ref. [7]).

Citation

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 6361

Report Number

6361

NIST Pub Series

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

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Keywords

combustibility, epoxy resin, flammability, material design, microfiller, optimization, overall desirability, polyester resin, polymer concrete

Citation

Czarnecki, L. , Garbacz, A. , Lukowski, P. and Clifton, J. (1999), Optimization of Polymer Concrete Composites: Final Report, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=860196 (Accessed October 11, 2024)