Mathematical model for strength of alkali-activated materials

Abstract

In this work, geopolymers are assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively, with an emphasis on strength. Produced by mixing binders with an alkaline solution, geopolymers have been quite often suffered from the absence of aggregate. Even when aggregate is included, inadequate attention has been paid to the control of the geopolymer paste volume (GPV) which plays a vital role in lowering materials cost and enhancing dimensional stability. To better understand the properties of geopolymer and facilitate its wider application, this paper examined geopolymer from the perspective of two phases: alkaline paste and aggregate. Utilizing abundant data of 159 mixtures extracted from the literature, the key factors affecting the strength of geopolymer mixtures were identified. Furthermore, a robust model for predicting the strength of geopolymer is established with high accuracy by correlating the key factors quantitatively to the strength. This study shall advance the development of geopolymer by providing practical guidelines for economic, sustainable and durable mix design.