There is a large amount of useful information from past experimental tests, which are usually ignored in test-setup for the new ones. Variation of assumptions, materials, test procedures, and test objectives make it difficult to choose the right model for validation of the numerical models. Results from different experiments are sometimes in conflict with each other, or have minimum correlation. Furthermore, not all these information are easily accessible for researchers and engineers. Therefore, this paper presents the results of a comprehensive study on different experimental models for steel plate and reinforced concrete shear walls. A unique library of up to 13 parameters (mechanical properties and geometric characteristics) affecting the strength, stiffness and drift ratio of the shear walls are gathered including their sensitivity analysis. Next, a predictive meta-model is developed based on artificial neural network. It is capable of forecasting the responses for any desired shear wall with good accuracy. The proposed network can be used to as an alternative to the nonlinear numerical simulations or expensive experimental test.

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As a lateral load-bearing system, the steel plate shear wall (SPSW) is utilized in different structural systems that are susceptible to seismic risk and because of functional reasons SPSWs may need openings. In this research, the effects of rectangular openings on the lateral load-bearing behavior of the steel shear walls by the finite element method (FEM) is investigated. The results of the FEM are used for the prediction of SPSW behavior using the artificial neural network (ANN). The radial basis function (RBF) network is used to model the effects of the rectangular opening in the SPSW with different plate thicknesses. The results showed that the opening leads to reduced load-bearing capacity, stiffness and absorbed energy, which can be precisely predicted by employing RBF network model. Besides, the suitable relative area of the opening is determined.

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Several advantages of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) have led to widespread use in the concrete industry. Many various SCMs with different characteristics are used to produce sustainable concrete. Each of these materials has its specific properties and therefore plays a different role in enhancing the mechanical properties of concrete. Multiple and often conflicting demands of concrete properties can be addressed by using combinations of two or more SCMs. Thus, understanding the effect of each SCM, as well as their combination in concrete, may pave the way for further utilization. This study aims to develop a robust and time-saving method based on Machine Learning (ML) to predict the compressive strength of concrete containing binary SCMs at various ages. To do so, a database containing a mixture of design, physical, and chemical properties of pozzolan and age of specimens have been collected from literature. A total of 21 mix design containing binary mixes of fly ash, metakaolin, and zeolite were prepared and experimentally tests to fill the possible gap in the literature and to increase the efficiency and accuracy of the ML-based model. The accuracy of the proposed model was shown to be accurate and ML-based model is able to predict the compressive strength of concrete containing any arbitrary SCMs at ay ages precisely. By using the model, the optimum replacement level of any combination of SCMs, as well as the behavior of binary cementitious systems containing two different SCMs, can be determined.

Perforations adversely affect the structural response of unreinforced masonry walls (UMW) by reducing the wall’s load bearing capacity, which can cause serious structural damage. In the absence of a reliable procedure to accurately predict the load bearing capacity and stiffness of perforated masonry walls subjected to in-plane loadings, this study presents a novel approach to measure these parameters by developing simple but practical equations. In this regard, the Multi-Pier (MP) method as a numerical approach was employed along with the application of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The simulated responses of centrally perforated UMW by the MP method were validated utilizing full-scale experimental walls. The validated MP model was used to generate a simulated database. The simulated database includes results of analyses for 49 different configurations of perforated masonry walls and their corresponding solid masonry walls. The effect of the area and shape of the perforations on the UMW’s behavior was evaluated by the MP method. Following the outcomes of the verified MP method, the ANN is trained to develop empirical equations to accurately predict the reduction in the load bearing capacity and initial stiffness due to the perforation of UMW. The results of this study indicate that the perforations have a significant effect on the structural capacity of the UMW subjected to in-plane loadings.