Development of geopolymer cement concrete for highway infrastructure applications

Dave, N; Sahu, V and Misra, A K (2020) Development of geopolymer cement concrete for highway infrastructure applications. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 18(5), pp. 1321-1333. ISSN 1726-0531

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to study the in-situ performance of ternary geopolymer concrete in road repair work. Geopolymer cement concrete is an attractive alternative to Portland cement concrete owing to environmental, economic and performance benefits. Industrial wastes, such as fly ash (FA) and ground granular blast furnace slag (GGBS), have been extensively used to manufacture unitary and binary geopolymer concrete with heat activation (at different temperature); however, it has indicated a limitation for its application in precast industry only. Design/methodology/approach: In the present study, efforts have been made to produce a ternary geopolymer concrete mix, using GGBS, FA and Silica fumes (SF) in varied proportion mixed with 8 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as alkali activator and cured at ambient temperature. Total ten geopolymer concrete mixes have been prepared and tested for strength and durability properties and compared with control mix of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Based on the mechanical properties of various mixes, an optimum geopolymer concrete mix has been identified. The control mix and optimum geopolymer have been studied for microstructural properties through scanning electron microscopy. Findings: The in situ performance of the optimum mix has been assessed when used as a road repair material on a stretch of road. The ternary geopolymer concrete mixes (a) 65% GGBS + 25% FA + 10% SF, (b) 70% GGBS + 20% FA + 10% SF, and (c) 75% GGBS + 15% FA + 10% SF have resulted in good strength at ambient temperature and the mix 75% GGBS + 15% FA + 10% SF have shown good in situ performance when tested for road repair work. Originality/value: Geopolymer concrete is gaining interest in many fields as an alternative to conventional concrete, as it not only reduces carbon footprint due to huge cement production but also provides a sustainable disposal method for many industrial wastes. This paper focuses on finding some alternative of OPC concrete to reduce dependency on the OPC.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: alkali activator; fly ash; ground granulated blast furnace slag; silica fumes; ternary geopolymer
Index terms: in-situ, fly ash, geopolymer concrete, highway infrastructure, scanning electron microscopy, carbon footprint, industrial waste, durability, slag, silica fume, furnace, methodology, repair, ordinary Portland cement, ambient temperature, mechanical property
Subjects: maintenance engineering, research methods, civil engineering, material properties and characteristics, building construction, environmental engineering, mechanical systems, waste management, environmental impact, materials science, building materials, analytical methods, material degradation and durability
Topics: Sustainability, Construction Materials, Engineering Principles, Research Practice, Business Strategy
Descriptive scope: 3 PCT

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