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The construction industry aims to cut its environmental footprint without compromising material strength. One answer is fly ash‑based geopolymer concrete (GPC), which emits far less CO₂ than traditional cement. The challenge lies in accurately predicting GPC’s flexural strength, which depends on factors like ash content and alkaline activator type.

Researchers have merged two cutting‑edge technologies: Gene Expression Programming (GEP), an AI algorithm that uncovers hidden variable relationships, and blockchain, which stores data immutably and transparently. Their result, the B‑GEPF framework, examines how the silica modulus of activators (a measure of their composition) affects flexural strength.

Tests showed that raising activator concentration (8 M NaOH with sodium silicate) boosts strength, while fly ash improves workability and lowers heat of hydration, preserving long‑term strength through secondary reactions. Blockchain ensures every experiment is traceable and verifiable, easing certification and collaboration among producers, engineers, and regulators.

In practice, B‑GEPF speeds up the search for optimal mixes, guaranteeing reliability and industrial scalability. The blend of predictive AI and blockchain promises a future where building materials are both eco‑friendly and digitally certified, paving the way for more resilient, sustainable infrastructure.

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The B‑GEPF framework relies on Gene Expression Programming, a variant of genetic programming that evolves mathematical expressions to model complex data. Here, GEP generated equations linking silica modulus (Ms), NaOH concentration, fly ash percentage (FA), and fine‑to‑coarse aggregate ratio (FA/AG) to flexural strength (Rf). Population fitness was assessed using root‑mean‑square error (RMSE) on a set of 120 experimental measurements.

To ensure data integrity, each experimental result was hashed and stored in a permissioned blockchain built on Hyperledger Fabric. This enables dataset version traceability, change verification, and access‑rights management, reducing manipulation risk. Smart contracts automatically trigger GEP retraining when new data surpass a statistical significance threshold (p < 0.05).

Chemically, increasing silica modulus enhances Si–O–Al network formation, improving geopolymer cross‑linking. Fly ash, rich in SiO2 and Al2O3, undergoes pozzolanic reactions, releasing amorphous silica that reacts with alkaline activators. These secondary reactions produce N‑A‑S‑H (sodium aluminosilicate) gel, responsible for long‑term strength.

Sensitivity analysis showed silica modulus as the most influential factor (≈45% variance), followed by fly ash content (≈30%) and aggregate ratio (≈15%). Their interactions are nonlinear, justifying GEP over traditional linear models.

In summary, B‑GEPF merges evolutionary AI and digital governance to optimize GPC formulation, delivering reliable predictions, data traceability, and continuous adaptability—key for large‑scale adoption of low‑carbon construction materials.

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Authors:
Zilefac Ebenezer NwetlawungYi-Hsin Lin
Date Published:
Original Article www.mdpi.com
Fact-check verified on 03/06/2026
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Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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