Giatec is a world leader in concrete testing technologies. Giatec SmartMix now incorporates their artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, Roxi. This is a new online dashboard that enables producers to optimize concrete materials and predict the performance of their mixes.
“The SmartMix platform has helped us communicate with our customers and provide transparency. We can give them better insights into when our mixes will achieve a specified early-age strength to help them with their construction schedule.” Says Patrick Frawley, P.E., Director of Quality Assurance, Central Concrete.
With the SmartMix dashboard, producers can adjust the proportions of their concrete mixes, such as the use of chemical admixtures and amount of cement. With millions of datapoints used to train the AI algorithm, the program’s suggestions ensure that these adjustments will meet a mix’s designed compressive strength and other performance criteria.
“This means that a producer can meet concrete mix specifications set out by a project engineer. They can do this while cutting down on both material costs and CO2 emissions. SmartMix can help address the sustainability issues in the concrete industry that are responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions.” Says Andrew Fahim, Senior Manager of R&D, Giatec.
SmartMix also enables producers to:
- Predict mix performance, such as compressive strength, workability, and air content of concrete, based on a mix’s proportions, raw material characteristics, ambient conditions, etc.
- Analyze and evaluate the influence of mix adjustments, such as the use of chemical admixtures or supplementary cementitious materials on concrete performance.
- Formulate concrete mixes at minimal costs and with a reduced carbon footprint.
- Meet performance specifications and prescriptive requirements set out by the project engineer, such as specified slump, strength at different ages, etc.
- Integrate Roxi, SmartRock’s AI program, with other concrete data management platforms using Giatec’s comprehensive REST API. This allows it to access more insights into the quality control and quality assurance of concrete.
With the support from Giatec’s AI Council members, Roxi’s algorithm uses the world’s largest and most diverse concrete performance dataset. The program was initially built for Giatec’s award-winning SmartRock wireless concrete sensor. SmartRock has been used in over 7,500 construction projects across 45 countries. It is giving Roxi access to millions of data points from producers and construction projects all around the world. SmartRock is the leading concrete maturity sensor for accurate monitoring of concrete curing and hardening.
Giatec received funding of $2.4 million from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to help with the training, research, and development of Roxi. They also received $800,000 from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP).
