FP McCann has been awarded funding to Improve the Utilisation of Raw Materials in Concrete using AI.

Using AI to maximise raw material potential for reduced embodied CO₂ in precast concrete.

The project aims to reduce carbon emissions due to waste resulting from variability in concrete quality. The size, shape, and moisture content of the concrete aggregate influence the quantity of binder, water and additives required to create a high-quality mix. Currently the monitoring of the ingredients is done manually and is labour intensive. This project will combine AI decision making systems with high-resolution industrial cameras to predict the properties of the aggregate particles. A laboratory setup will be constructed consisting of a camera system attached to a conveyor belt. This generates data to produce computer vision models that can provide real-time decision capability to concrete mixing operations to finely tune the ingredients for optimal strength mixes. With the reduction in waste, less carbon-intensive raw materials are consumed, and less energy is utilised in the production process.