Investigation of the Effect of Materials on Performance of RCC Using Dimension Reduction Method and Monte Carlo Simulation

Engineering structures, during construction and operation, are under the influence of uncertainties including: dimensional parameters, materials specification, and loading. Among engineering structures, concrete structures are more sensitive to these uncertainties with respect to performance problems, environmental conditions and diversity of the components. In this study, the probability performance of roller compacted concrete (RCC), used in pavements, was investigated with different amounts of Lumachelle and pozzolan. The water to cement ratio and the amount of pozzolan and Lumachelle fine aggregates were considered as random variables and also the dimension reduction method (DRM), in combination with Monte Carlo simulation, were used for reliability and sensitivity analysis of this kind of concrete. The experimental design was based on the DRM, and compressive strength and water adsorption tests were performed on the specimens. Results showed that the probability of failure due to water adsorption is 0.17, which is more than the probability failure of compressive strength (0.021) in the RCC. Also, the probability of failure increased to 0.24 by assuming the concrete as a system.