Civil Engineering is hard, and concrete is a perfect example of how something as "simple" as concrete in reality requires significant interdisciplinary collaboration with domain experts in ChemE, MatSE, Physics, Applied Math, and CS.
Some of the most robust HPC applications I saw back when I was an undergrad were done by Civil and Structural Engineers in the ONG space.
I have real fears that building materials will experience the same inflationary pressures computer memory is currently experiencing. The U.S. TSMC and Intel fab construction alone in the last couple years has had an outsized impact on building costs.
Looking more closely though, this looks a lot like the Google "AI Cookie" from 2017, which also used Bayesian Optimization: https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/research/ma...
Our work on concrete here differs in that the problem is both 1) an inherently time-varying, and 2) multi-objective. See our write-up here for details: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2310.18288
How do you bypass the normal process of pouring test articles and testing them months and years after cure? This is fundamentally a research activity that needs to conduct verifiable science. Not something you can guess at with an LLM.
https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/03/rubber-used-in-undersea-tunn...
Obviously it's going to be more productive for a manufacturer to do a years-long curing test on 100 likely candidates instead of 100 random mixes. They obviously already screen candidates through traditional methods, but if this AI technique improves accuracy, all the better.
It's no surprise that people readjust their immediate reactions by expressing hostility and skepticism about anything AI-related without spending much time on analysis. In fact, it's an entirely rational repones.
Complaining about it without acknowledging the larger picture is disingenuous.
In this particular case, using the term "machine learning" would likely avoid the immediate negative reaction.
It’s really exhausting to feel negative all the time when faced with the cavalcade of terribly weak claims.
There should be an app for this. But that's so last-decade.
[1] https://store.forneyonline.com/concrete-testing-equipment/fr...
Cutting out a piece of a slab and sending it to a lab is for post-pour validation in serious construction. There are pre-pour tests that are much simpler depending on the seriousness of what you’re building.
The slump test is rather simple, for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_slump_test
It’s basically a cone with handles and a procedure that’s easy to learn.
But yeah, there are concrete plants that cut corners and try to save on cement (the most expensive part of the mix), which depending on the project may bite them in the ass when they have to pay to fixing it.
> Alongside the event, Meta is releasing a new AI model for designing concrete mixes, Bayesian Optimization for Concrete (BOxCrete). BOxCrete improves over Meta’s previous models with more robustness to noisy data as well as new features including the ability to predict concrete slump (an important indicator of concrete workability).
Seems hard to imagine not doing a slump test, trusting AI when it comes to your multi/many million dollar build outs for something so important. But perhaps still useful for planning, as a starting place?
Who do you think I'm going to believe? Some dumbass construction worker or a billion dollar AGI?
I'll be counting my money while you're busy getting replaced.
There is plenty of room for improvement in cement production. I'm not sure exactly how to apply AI to it but I guess I was hoping for more than this. If we are going to have the infrastructure renaissance that keeps being talked up by reformists of various stripes, we need more cement.
South America is also a surprising laggard in cement production, which is odd considering they have the materials and they need the roads. I think that environmental concerns and a continental aversion to coal might contribute.
barbazoo•1h ago
> Proposes high-potential candidates: The AI suggests new mixes most likely to meet target specifications and can compare performance between U.S.-made and foreign materials
US imports 22% of its cement
> In 2024, Portland and blended cement were produced in 99 plants in 34 U.S. states, led by Texas, Missouri, California, and Florida. Nevertheless, there was significant import reliance. Net imports were 22% of total consumption, with the major source countries being Turkey (32%), Canada (22%), and Vietnam (10%). U.S. exports of cement last year were negligible.
https://www.constructconnect.com/construction-economic-news/....
I'm assuming this isn't for national security reasons, probably more to help the domestic industry deal with tariffs. I hope Meta used their extensive connections to the government.