Performance of natural rubber latex on calcined clay-based glass fiber-reinforced geopolymer concrete

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide an alternate concrete material to the remote areas of the world. This research focuses on the influence of rubber latex on the workability and strength of calcined clay-based geopolymer concrete. In this research geopolymer concrete along with an activator, cement is completely replaced by calcined clay, and coarse aggregates are completely replaced with brick aggregates. This will reduce the cement demand as well as carbon dioxide emission due to cement production and save our environment against deforestation due to mining of hills for coarse aggregates. Since geopolymer concrete provides less workability, an organic admixture (i.e., rubber latex) is used for increasing its workability. The amount of rubber latex varies within 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2.0% of calcined clay. The result shows that as percentages of rubber latex increased, the workability also increased significantly. It is also found that the use of a higher percentage of rubber latex not only increases the workability of concrete but also remolded easily as compared to the use of another chemical superplasticizer.