scholarly journals Applicability of Artificial Neural Networks to Predict Mechanical and Permeability Properties of Volcanic Scoria-Based Concrete

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aref M. al-Swaidani ◽  
Waed T. Khwies

Numerous volcanic scoria (VS) cones are found in many places worldwide. Many of them have not yet been investigated, although few of which have been used as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) for a long time. The use of natural pozzolans as cement replacement could be considered as a common practice in the construction industry due to the related economic, ecologic, and performance benefits. In the current paper, the effect of VS on the properties of concrete was investigated. Twenty-one concrete mixes with three w/b ratios (0.5, 0.6, and 0.7) and seven replacement levels of VS (0%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35%) were produced. The investigated concrete properties were the compressive strength, the water permeability, and the concrete porosity. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) were used for prediction of the investigated properties. Feed-forward backpropagation neural networks have been used. The ANN models have been established by incorporation of the laboratory experimental data and by properly choosing the network architecture and training processes. This study shows that the use of ANN models provided a more accurate tool to capture the effects of five parameters (cement content, volcanic scoria content, water content, superplasticizer content, and curing time) on the investigated properties. This prediction makes it possible to design VS-based concretes for a desired strength, water impermeability, and porosity at any given age and replacement level. Some correlations between the investigated properties were derived from the analysed data. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis showed that all studied parameters have a strong effect on the investigated properties. The modification of the microstructure of VS-based cement paste has been observed, as well.

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1441-1455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalpesh Patil ◽  
M. C. Deo

AbstractThe prediction of sea surface temperature (SST) on the basis of artificial neural networks (ANNs) can be viewed as complementary to numerical SST predictions, and it has fairly sustained in the recent past. However, one of its limitations is that such ANNs are site specific and do not provide simultaneous spatial information similar to the numerical schemes. In this work we have addressed this issue by presenting basin-scale SST predictions based on the operation of a very large number of individual ANNs simultaneously. The study area belongs to the basin of the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) having coordinates of 30°N–30°S, 30°–120°E. The network training and testing are done on the basis of HadISST data of the past 140 yr. Monthly SST anomalies are predicted at 3813 nodes in the basin and over nine time steps into the future with more than 20 million ANN models. The network testing indicated that the prediction skill of ANNs is attractive up to certain lead times depending on the subbasin. The ANN models performed well over both the western Indian Ocean (WIO) and eastern Indian Ocean (EIO) regions up to 5 and 4 months lead time, respectively, as judged by the error statistics of the correlation coefficient and the normalized root-mean-square error. The prediction skill of the ANN models for the TIO region is found to be better than the physics-based coupled atmosphere–ocean models. It is also observed that the ANNs are capable of providing an advanced warning of the Indian Ocean dipole as well as abnormal basin warming.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rishi Rajalingham ◽  
Elias B. Issa ◽  
Pouya Bashivan ◽  
Kohitij Kar ◽  
Kailyn Schmidt ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTPrimates—including humans—can typically recognize objects in visual images at a glance even in the face of naturally occurring identity-preserving image transformations (e.g. changes in viewpoint). A primary neuroscience goal is to uncover neuron-level mechanistic models that quantitatively explain this behavior by predicting primate performance for each and every image. Here, we applied this stringent behavioral prediction test to the leading mechanistic models of primate vision (specifically, deep, convolutional, artificial neural networks; ANNs) by directly comparing their behavioral signatures against those of humans and rhesus macaque monkeys. Using high-throughput data collection systems for human and monkey psychophysics, we collected over one million behavioral trials for 2400 images over 276 binary object discrimination tasks. Consistent with previous work, we observed that state-of-the-art deep, feed-forward convolutional ANNs trained for visual categorization (termed DCNNIC models) accurately predicted primate patterns of object-level confusion. However, when we examined behavioral performance for individual images within each object discrimination task, we found that all tested DCNNIC models were significantly non-predictive of primate performance, and that this prediction failure was not accounted for by simple image attributes, nor rescued by simple model modifications. These results show that current DCNNIC models cannot account for the image-level behavioral patterns of primates, and that new ANN models are needed to more precisely capture the neural mechanisms underlying primate object vision. To this end, large-scale, high-resolution primate behavioral benchmarks—such as those obtained here—could serve as direct guides for discovering such models.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTRecently, specific feed-forward deep convolutional artificial neural networks (ANNs) models have dramatically advanced our quantitative understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying primate core object recognition. In this work, we tested the limits of those ANNs by systematically comparing the behavioral responses of these models with the behavioral responses of humans and monkeys, at the resolution of individual images. Using these high-resolution metrics, we found that all tested ANN models significantly diverged from primate behavior. Going forward, these high-resolution, large-scale primate behavioral benchmarks could serve as direct guides for discovering better ANN models of the primate visual system.


Author(s):  
Hafiz Pratama ◽  
Poningsih Poningsih ◽  
Jalaluddin Jalaluddin

This study predicts the sale of bottled water by applying Artificial Neural Networks. The application uses the Backpropogation Algorithm where the data entered is the number of sales, then Artificial Neural Networks are formed by determining the number of each layer. After the network is formed training is carried out from the data that has been grouped. Experiments are carried out with a network architecture consisting of input units, hidden units, output units and network architecture. Testing is done with Matlab software. Predictions with the best accuracy use 3-10-1 architecture with an accuracy rate of 75% and the lowest level of accuracy using architecture 3-40-1 with an accuracy rate of 33%.


2014 ◽  
pp. 8-20
Author(s):  
Kurosh Madani

In a large number of real world dilemmas and related applications the modeling of complex behavior is the central point. Over the past decades, new approaches based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) have been proposed to solve problems related to optimization, modeling, decision making, classification, data mining or nonlinear functions (behavior) approximation. Inspired from biological nervous systems and brain structure, Artificial Neural Networks could be seen as information processing systems, which allow elaboration of many original techniques covering a large field of applications. Among their most appealing properties, one can quote their learning and generalization capabilities. The main goal of this paper is to present, through some of main ANN models and based techniques, their real application capability in real world industrial dilemmas. Several examples through industrial and real world applications have been presented and discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Awoamim Yacim ◽  
Douw Gert Brand Boshoff

Purpose The paper aims to investigate the application of particle swarm optimisation and back propagation in weights optimisation and training of artificial neural networks within the mass appraisal industry and to compare the performance with standalone back propagation, genetic algorithm with back propagation and regression models. Design/methodology/approach The study utilised linear regression modelling before the semi-log and log-log models with a sample of 3,242 single-family dwellings. This was followed by the hybrid systems in the selection of optimal attribute weights and training of the artificial neural networks. Also, the standalone back propagation algorithm was used for the network training, and finally, the performance of each model was evaluated using accuracy test statistics. Findings The study found that combining particle swarm optimisation with back propagation in global and local search for attribute weights enhances the predictive accuracy of artificial neural networks. This also enhances transparency of the process, because it shows relative importance of attributes. Research limitations/implications A robust assessment of the models’ predictive accuracy was inhibited by fewer accuracy test statistics found in the software. The research demonstrates the efficacy of combining two models in the assessment of property values. Originality/value This work demonstrated the practicability of combining particle swarm optimisation with back propagation algorithms in finding optimal weights and training of the artificial neural networks within the mass appraisal environment.


Author(s):  
Fred Kitchens

For hundreds of years, actuaries used pencil and paper to perform their statistical analysis It was a long time before they had the help of a mechanical adding machine. Only recently have they had the benefit of computers. As recently as 1981, computers were not considered important to the process of insurance underwriting. Leading experts in insurance underwriting believed that the judgment factor involved in the underwriting process was too complex for any computer to handle as effectively as a human underwriter (Holtom, 1981). Recent research in the application of technology to the underwriting process has shown that Holtom’s statement may no longer hold true (Gaunt, 1972; Kitchens, 2000; Rose, 1986). The time for computers to take on an important role in the insurance underwriting process may be upon us. The author intends to illustrate the applicability of artificial neural networks to the insurance underwriting process.


Author(s):  
Behzad Vaferi

Nanofluids have recently been considered as one of the most popular working fluid in heat transfer and fluid mechanics. Accurate estimation of thermophysical properties of nanofluids is required for the investigation of their heat transfer performance. Thermal conductivity coefficient, convective heat transfer coefficient, and viscosity are some the most important thermophysical properties that directly influence on the application of nanofluids. The aim of the present chapter is to develop and validate artificial neural networks (ANNs) to estimate these thermophysical properties with acceptable accuracy. Some simple and easy measurable parameters including type of nanoparticle and base fluid, temperature and pressure, size and concentration of nanoparticles, etc. are used as independent variables of the ANN approaches. The predictive performance of the developed ANN approaches is validated with both experimental data and available empirical correlations. Various statistical indices including mean square errors (MSE), root mean square errors (RMSE), average absolute relative deviation percent (AARD%), and regression coefficient (R2) are used for numerical evaluation of accuracy of the developed ANN models. Results confirm that the developed ANN models can be regarded as a practical tool for studying the behavior of those industrial applications, which have nanofluids as operating fluid.


Author(s):  
Sara Moridpour ◽  
Ehsan Mazloumi ◽  
Reyhaneh Hesami

The increase in number of passengers and tramcars will wear down existing rail structures faster. This is forcing the rail infrastructure asset owners to incorporate asset management strategies to reduce total operating cost of maintenance whilst improving safety and performance. Analysing track geometry defects is critical to plan a proactive maintenance strategy in short and long term. Repairing and maintaining the correctly selected tram tracks can effectively reduce the cost of maintenance operations. The main contribution of this chapter is to explore the factors influencing the degradation of tram tracks (light rail tracks) using existing geometric data, inspection data, load data and repair data. This chapter also presents an Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) model to predict the degradation of tram tracks. Predicting the degradation of tram tracks will assist in understanding the maintenance needs of tram system and reduce the operating costs of the system.


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