AI-enhanced reinforced concrete with SCM and AZO nanoparticles for superior mechanical and antibacterial performance

This study investigates the effects of supplementary cementitious material and aluminum zinc oxide (AZO) nanoparticles on concrete performance. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was replaced with microsilica, metakaolin, clinoptilolite, and AZO to analyze mechanical properties and antibacterial effectiveness. Compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), rapid chloride penetration test (RCPT), and bacterial removal efficiency were evaluated. The optimal formulation (73.6% OPC, 19% microsilica, 4% metakaolin, 1% clinoptilolite, and 2.4% AZO) achieved superior 28-day compressive strength (31.65 MPa), excellent homogeneity (index 0.975), and very low chloride penetrability. This composition demonstrated remarkable antibacterial properties, with up to 98.7% removal of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus after 30 min of UV exposure, while maintaining practical application timeframes. AI/ML models were developed to predict concrete properties, with random forest (RF) showing the highest accuracy (R² > 0.97). Feature importance analysis identified AZO content as the most significant predictor (32.8–36.9%) across all models. Microstructural characterization revealed that 2.4% AZO content enhanced surface hydrophobicity (contact angle 115.67°) and reduced porosity by 34.6%. This research establishes an optimal concrete formulation for mechanical properties and significant antibacterial capabilities for healthcare environments.

Graphical Abstract