MECHANICAL AND DURABILITY PROPERTIES OF GEOPOLYMER CONCRETE – A REVIEW

Abstract

Owing to the ongoing increase in human population, there is a need for more construction projects including residential buildings and other amenities. Concrete is by far the dominant material used in construction and cement is a main ingredient. Cement manufacture is an energy intensive process and emit large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A reduction in the amount of cement used in construction is greatly beneficial. The use of geopolymer or alkali activated materials can serve this purpose as it attempts to totally replace cement in concrete. Geopolymers are materials that consist mainly of silica and alumina materials and activated using alkali such as sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide. This paper attempts to review recent articles on the production and properties of geopolymers and alkali activated materials. Different hardened, structural, and durability properties are studied. These include; compressive strength, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, ultrasonic pulse velocity, shrinkage, expansion, creep, weight loss, carbonation, sulfate, and corrosion.