Effect of elevated temperatures on mechanical properties of lightweight geopolymer concrete

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effect of high temperatures on lightweight geopolymer concrete (LWGC) and lightweight ordinary concrete (LWOC) made of natural pumice and lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) with the addition of trapped air. To this end, a geopolymer concrete matrix has been synthesized by the alkali-activation of fly ash (FA) and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS). The geopolymer concrete samples were cured for 24 h at a temperature of 80 °C. To study the properties of fresh concrete, slump and slump flow tests and unit weight were applied. The mechanical properties were also measured by the compressive strength, splitting tensile, flexural strength, and elastic modulus tests. High temperatures of 100 °C, 200 °C, 300 °C, 400 °C, 500 °C, 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C were applied on the geopolymer concrete samples to obtain the residual compressive strength. In general, pumice and LECA can be used as an alternative to the dolomite aggregate to produce LWGC and LWOC. The mixture F-50D50P-A achieved the lowest of unit weight of 1660 kg/m, a slump flow of 555 mm, and compressive strength of 32.9 MPa at 91-days. Lightweight geopolymer concrete containing 50 % fly ash and 50 % GBSF achieved the best compressive strength test results. The results showed a similarity in the behaviour of LWGC with LWOC under the influence of all the variables applied in this study.