Effect of Steel Fibres and Low Calcium Fly Ash on Mechanical and Elastic Properties of Geopolymer Concrete Composites

Atteshamuddin S Sayyad,Subhash V Patankar

doi:10.1155/2013/357563

Abstract

Effect of steel fibres and low calcium fly ash on mechanical and elastic properties of geopolymer concrete composites (GPCC) has been presented. The study analyses the impact of steel fibres and low calcium fly ash on the compressive, flexural, split-tensile, and bond strengths of hardened GPCC. Geopolymer concrete mixes were prepared using low calcium fly ash and activated by alkaline solutions (NaOH and Na2SiO3) with solution to fly ash ratio of 0.35. Crimped steel fibres having aspect ratio of 50 with volume fraction of 0.0% to 0.5% at an interval of 0.1% by mass of normal geopolymer concrete are used. The entire tests were carried out according to test procedures given by the Indian standards wherever applicable. The inclusion of steel fibre showed the excellent improvement in the mechanical properties of fly ash based geopolymer concrete. Elastic properties of geopolymer concrete composites are also determined by various methods available in the literature and compared with each other.

Highlights

Plain cement concrete suffers from numerous drawbacks such as low tensile strength, brittleness, unstable crack propagation, and low fracture resistance
New expressions for mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete composites (GPCC) are proposed in this investigation
The compressive strength of concrete increases with respect to fibre content up to 0.2% and it decreases because higher percentage of fibre content reduces the workability of GPCC

Summary

Introduction

Plain cement concrete suffers from numerous drawbacks such as low tensile strength, brittleness, unstable crack propagation, and low fracture resistance. Addition of steel fibres in plain cement concrete improves its mechanical and elastic properties. The rate of production of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere is increasing due to the increased use of Portland cement in the construction. Fly ash is the waste material of coal based thermal power plant available abundantly but this poses disposal problem. It is found that geopolymerisation can make a profitable contribution towards recycling and utilization of waste materials such as fly ash. This technology is, still fairly unknown and predictably viewed with skepticism by most workers in the field of traditional waste processing techniques [2,3,4]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion