Multicriteria optimisation of polymer modified composites subjected to freezing and thawing cycles

The optimisation approach to any activity in technology, economics or other fields, is aimed at finding methods of determining the best solutions in an objective way. In particular, the optimisation of composite materials deals with problems of selecting the values of several variables which determine composition, microstructure, mixing procedure and curing regime, etc. This paper presents the application of the optimisation approach to the design of frost resistant concrete modified by two admixtures—methyl hydroxy ethyl cellulose, MHEC and polyvinyl acetate, PVA. Experimental data, including flexural and compressive strengths, total porosity and supercooling, all determined after 300 cycles of freezing and thawing was used for the formulation of the objective functions. The problem of optimisation was solved with the aid of the Computer Aided Multicriterion Optimisation System—CAMOS.