Abstract
The interest of the construction industry in alkali-activated materials has increased to the extent that these materials are recognized as alternatives to ordinary Portland cement-based materials in the quest for sustainable construction. This article presents the design and construction of a prototype of an eco-friendly house built from concrete blocks produced using alkali activation technology or geopolymerization. The prototype meets the requirements of the current Colombian Regulations for Earthquake Resistant Buildings (NSR-10) and includes standards related to the performance of the materials, design, and construction method for earthquake-resistant confined masonry of one- or two-story buildings. The alkali-activated blocks were obtained from different precursors (aluminosilicates), including a natural volcanic pozzolan, ground granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, construction and demolition waste (concrete, ceramic, brick, and mortar), and red clay brick waste. The physical-mechanical characterization of the alkali-activated blocks allowed their classification according to the structural specifications of the Colombian Technical Standard NTC 4026 (equivalent to ASTM C90). The global warming potential (GWP) or “carbon footprint” attributed to the raw materials of alkali-activated blocks was lower (25.4–54.7%) than that of the reference blocks (ordinary Portland cement concrete blocks). These results demonstrate the potential of alkali-activated materials for application in the construction of eco-friendly houses.
Highlights
The search for emerging technologies that promote environmental sustainability is a priority for the construction sector; this sector is among the top contributors in global pollution indices
The objective of this paper was to demonstrate the application potential of alkali-activated materials in the production of blocks for the construction of environmentally sustainable housing, complying with all the physical-mechanical specifications established by the technical standards and construction regulations that guarantee their structural performance and earthquake resistance in Colombia
In the case of the alkali-activated mixtures, the contents of the alkaline activator (NaOH + sodium silicate (SS) + water) and precursors were selected based on previous studies (NP–granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) [33,53]; fly ash (FA) [34]; construction and demolition waste (CDW) [38]; red clay brick waste (RCBW) [37,54])
Summary
The search for emerging technologies that promote environmental sustainability is a priority for the construction sector; this sector is among the top contributors in global pollution indices This problem has been identified in the framework of the “17 Sustainable Development Goals” of the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations General Assembly”. By 2050, an increase in natural resources equivalent to almost three planets-worth is estimated to be necessary to sustain current lifestyles For these reasons and others, the approach and urgent implementation of the model called “sustainable cities” by UN member countries have been proposed [1]. This model proposes sustainable consumption and production, seeking to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, to increase resource efficiency, to reduce the extraction of raw materials and the final disposal of the waste generated (“zero waste” approach), and to move towards green (circular) economies with low carbon emissions [2]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
