Abstract
It is well known that concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials in the world, and cement as its key constituent is partly responsible for global Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emission. Due to these reasons, high strength concrete with lower CO2 emission, and concrete with lower reliance on natural resources is increasingly popular. Geopolymer Concrete (GPC), due to its capability to minimize the consumption of natural resources, has attracted the attention of researchers. In cold regions, frost action is one of the primary GPC deterioration mechanisms requiring huge expenditures for repair and maintenance. In this regard, two types of GPC (fly-ash based GPC and bottom-ash based GPC) were exposed to the harsh freeze-thaw conditions using a standard test method. The dynamic elastic modulus of both types of GPC was determined using a Non-Destructive Test (NDT) method called Resonant Frequency Test (RFT). The results of RFT after exposing to 300 freeze-thaw cycles showed that bottom-ash based GPC has better freeze-thaw resistance than fly-ash based GPC. Moreover, in this study, the leachability of bottom-ash based GPC was also investigated to trace the heavy metals (including Si, Al, Na, Cr, Cu, Hg) using Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test. The results of the TCLP test showed that all of the heavy metals could be effectively immobilized into the geopolymer paste.
Highlights
Fly-ash and bottom-ash are by-products of the combustion of pulverized coal in thermal power plants
The slump test was performed for the analysis of viscosity behavior of fly-ash based Geopolymer Concrete (GPC) and bottom-ash based GPC to investigate the workability, according to ASTM C143 [39]
The deterioration and mass loss produced in fly-ash based GPC and bottom-ash basedInGtPhCisdsuturdinyg, 3th0e0 dcyectelerisooraf tfiroenezaen-tdhamwasws eloressevparoludautceedduisninfglyR-aFsTh. bLaesaecdhaGbPilCityanodf bboottttoomm--aasshh bbaasseeddGGPPCCwdausrainlsgo3m00eacsyucrleeds oufsifnregetzhee-tThCawLPwteesrtetoevcahlauraatcetderuizseintgheRhFeTa.vLyemacehtaablsi.liAtyccoofrbdointtgomto-tahseh obbatsaeidneGdPrCesuwltass: measured using the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test to characterize the heavy metals
Summary
Fly-ash and bottom-ash are by-products of the combustion of pulverized coal in thermal power plants. These by-products are pozzolans and typically consist of Silicon Dioxide (SiO2), Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3) and Iron Oxide (Fe2O3) [1]. It is projected by Miller et al [2] that coal production will increase up to 1000 million tons annually by 2040. Broadly speaking, the use of by-products in various industries leads to a cleaner environment, the Environmental Protection Agency [3] reported that by-products can pollute groundwater and can increase a person’s health risk to incurable diseases. Besides creating a durable concrete made using by-products, it is worthwhile to assess the environmental impact of concrete
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