A Fast Operation Method for Predicting Stress in Nonlinear Boom Structures Based on RS–XGBoost–RF Model

Abstract

The expeditious and precise prediction of stress variations in nonlinear boom structures is paramount for ensuring the safe, dependable, and effective operation of pump trucks. Nonetheless, balancing prediction accuracy and efficiency by constructing a suitable machine-learning model remains a challenge in engineering practice. To this end, this paper introduces an interpretable fusion model named RS–XGBoost–RF (Random Search–Extreme Gradient Boosting Tree–Random Forest) and develops an intelligent algorithm for the stress prediction of the nonlinear boom structure of concrete pump trucks. Firstly, an information acquisition system is deployed to collect relevant data from the boom systems of ZLJ5440THBBF 56X-6RZ concrete pump trucks during its operational phase. Data pre-processing is conducted on the 2.4 million sets of acquired data. Then, a sample dataset of typical working conditions is obtained. Secondly, the RS algorithm, RF model, and XGBoost model are selected based on their complementary strengths to construct the fusion model. The model fusion condition is established with a focus on prediction efficiency. By leveraging the synergy between search and prediction mechanisms, the RS–XGBoost model is constructed for the prediction of the master hyperparameters of the RF model. This model uses the random search (RS) process to obtain the mapping between the loss function and the hyperparameters. This mapping relationship is then learned using the XGBoost model, and the hyperparameter value with the smallest loss value is predicted. Finally, the RS–XGBoost–RF model with optimized hyperparameters is employed to achieve rapid stress prediction at various detection points of the nonlinear boom structure. The findings demonstrate that, within the acceptable prediction efficiency for engineering practice, the fitting accuracy (R2) of the RS–XGBoost–RF model consistently exceeds 0.955 across all measurement points, with only a few exceptions. Concerning the stress magnitudes themselves, the mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) are maintained within the ranges of 2.22% to 3.91% and 4.79% to 7.85%, respectively. In comparison with RS–RF–RF, RS–RF–XGBoost, and RS–XGBoost–XGBoost, the proposed model exhibits the optimal prediction performance. The method delineated in this paper offers valuable insights for expeditious structural stress prediction in the realm of inherent safety within construction machinery.