Development of Alkaline Activated High Strength Concrete using Fly Ash - Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag - Metakaolin as Binders and Manufacturing Sand as Fine Aggregate

Abstract

Structures built with normal concrete are fading out from the construction industry due to the development of high strength concrete. The massive structures such as sky scrapers, bridges, tunnels, nuclear plants, underground structures need high strength concrete to withstand the high intensity vertical, horizontal and moving loads etc. The development of high strength alkaline activated concrete will reduce the usage of cement in construction community. Lesser the utilisation of cement will lessen the high emission of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere. In this study, high strength concrete using alumina and silica rich materials are made with a mix ratio of 1:1.31:2.22. The water to cement ratio for high strength cement concrete and the alkaline solution to binder ratio for alkaline activated concrete are kept as 0.35. Low calcium fly ash, Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) and Metakaolin are used as binders and Manufacturing Sand is used as fine aggregate to made high strength alkaline activated concrete. The high strength alkaline activated concrete tests results are better than the high strength cement concrete.