Sustainability-Focused Evaluation of Self-Compacting Concrete: Integrating Explainable Machine Learning and Mix Design Optimization

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) offers significant advantages in construction due to its superior workability; however, optimizing SCC mixture design remains challenging because of complex nonlinear material interactions and increasing sustainability requirements. This study proposes an integrated, sustainability-oriented framework that combines machine learning (ML), SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), and multi-objective optimization to improve SCC mixture design. A large and heterogeneous global dataset, compiled from 156 peer-reviewed studies and enhanced through a structured three-stage data augmentation strategy, was used to develop robust predictive models for key fresh-state properties. An optimized XGBoost model demonstrated high predictive performance, achieving coefficients of determination of R² = 0.835 for slump flow and R² = 0.828 for T50 time, with strong generalization to industrial SCC datasets. SHAP-based interpretability analysis identified the water-to-binder ratio and superplasticizer dosage as the dominant factors governing fresh-state behavior, providing physically meaningful insights into mixture performance. A cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment was integrated within a multi-objective genetic algorithm to simultaneously minimize embodied CO₂ emissions and material costs while satisfying workability constraints. The resulting Pareto-optimal mixtures achieved up to 3.9% reduction in embodied CO₂ emissions compared to conventional SCC designs without compromising performance. External validation using industrial data confirms the practical reliability and transferability of the proposed framework. Overall, this study presents an interpretable and scalable AI-driven approach for the sustainable optimization of SCC mixture design.