Abstract
Excessive consumption of cement in construction materials has resulted in a negative impact on the environment. This leads to the need of finding an alternative binder as a sustainable construction material. Different wastes that are rich in aluminosilicates have proved to be a valuable material for alkali-activated product development, which contains zero cement. Alkali-activated products are claimed to be sustainable and cost-effective. In the present study, alkali-activated reinforced masonry mortar was developed using locally available industrial waste (co-fired blended ash—CBA). Appropriate mortar design is one of the key challenges as connections between two structural elements play a significant role in building construction. The mortar designed with suitable fiber reinforcement shall significantly help to enhance the fresh, mechanical, durability, and dynamic properties. Chopped basalt fibers (CBFs) obtained from basalt rock are one of the eco-efficient fibers applied as a reinforcing material. The present study checked the feasibility of novel industrial waste-co-fired blended ash (CBA) in the development of alkali-activated masonry mortar and reinforced alkali-activated mortar. In view of sustainable construction material design, the study elaborated the application of chopped basalt fibers (CBFs) in alkali-activated mortar design. The mortar cubes were cast and tested for various properties with varying percentages of chopped basalt fibers (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%). The results suggest that developed mortars were able to achieve higher compressive strength (10–18 MPa) and flexural strength (3–3.5 MPa). Further, based on the properties of developed alkali-activated reinforced mortar, masonry prisms were cast and evaluated for the bond strengths (flexural and shear) of masonry. The optimum properties of alkali-activated mortar were found for the mix design of alkali activator to solid ratio of 0.40 and 0.5% CBF percentage. Application of CBF in CBA alkali-activated reinforced masonry mortar proved to be an efficient construction material with no cement.
Highlights
Over the years, migration from rural to urban areas has increased significantly due to employment and other opportunities
The present study examined the use of chopped basalt fiber in an alkali-activated composite for study alsoapplication
Different waste materials, which are rich in alumiTo reduce the consumption of cement, the alternate binder design using an alkali nosilicates, proved to be a valuable material for alkali-activated mortar development
Summary
Migration from rural to urban areas has increased significantly due to employment and other opportunities. New infrastructure is predominantly required to enable economic development and meet basic needs such as utilities and transport networks. Building components such as foundation, floor, slab, columns, beams, and masonry require a large amount of construction materials such as concrete, steel, bricks, mortar, etc., which directly or indirectly affects the environment and economy [2,3]. Consumption of cement for construction materials is reported as 5000 million tons in 2016, and it is forecasted to reach 6000 million tons by 2022 This creates a negative impact on the environment [4]. For every ton of cement production, about 900 kg of CO2 is emitted, which
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