A newly developed self-compacting geopolymer concrete under ambient condition

Abstract

The exponential development of infrastructure has created an urgent need for sustainable construction material with lower carbon emission. Recent studies have explored the suitability of geopolymer concrete as an alternative sustainable construction material, but the high curing temperature and need for chemical activators have inhibited the widespread application of the same. This study reports on the development of a novel self-compacting geopolymer concrete by use of single alkali activator under ambient curing as a new construction material. Eight different concrete mixes containing fly ash, slag and micro fly ash were examined for their workability, mechanical and microstructural properties. The newly developed self-compacting geopolymer concrete with zero cement, zero superplasticizers cured under ambient conditions achieved 40 MPa after 28 days of curing which is comparable to that of an M40 grade conventional concrete.