Use of partial least squares analysis in concrete technology

Multivariate analysis is a statistical technique that investigates relationship between multiple predictor variables and response variable and it is a very commonly used statistical approach in cement and concrete industry. During model building stage, however, many predictor variables are included in the model and possible collinearity problems between these predictors are generally ignored. In this study, use of partial least squares (PLS) analysis for evaluating the relationships among the cement and concrete properties is investigated. This regression method is known to decrease the model complexity by reducing the number of predictor variables as well as to result in accurate and reliable predictions. The experimental studies showed that the method can be used in the multivariate problems of cement and concrete industry effectively.