Mix design and mechanical performance of geopolymer binder for sustainable construction and building material
Open Access
- 29 November 2017
- journal article
- research article
- Published by IOP Publishing in IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering
- Vol. 264 (1), 012002
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/264/1/012002
Abstract
Sustainability in construction is a major concern worldwide, due to the huge volume of materials and energy consumed by this sector. Associated supplementing industries (e.g. Portland cement production) constitute a significant source of CO2 emissions and global warming. Valorisation and reuse of industrial wastes and by-products make geopolymers a solid and sustainable via to be followed as a valid alternative to Portland cement. In this work the mix design of a green fly ash-based geopolymer is evaluated as an environmentally friendly construction material. In the pursuit of sustainability, wastes from a regional kraft pulp industry are exploited for the material processing. Furthermore, a simple, reproducible, and low-cost manufacture is used. The mix design is hence optimised in order to improve the desirable mechanical performance of the material intended for structural applications in construction. Tests indicate that geopolymers may efficiently substitute the ordinary Portland cement as a mortar/concrete binder. Furthermore, valorisation and reuse of wastes in geopolymers is a suboptimal way of gaining financial surplus for the involved industrial players, while contributes for the implementation of a desirable circular economy.Keywords
This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- A review on alkaline activation: new analytical perspectivesMateriales de Construcción, 2014
- Geopolymer foam concrete: An emerging material for sustainable constructionConstruction and Building Materials, 2014
- Development of metakaolin–fly ash based geopolymers for fire resistance applicationsConstruction and Building Materials, 2014
- Alkali Activated MaterialsRILEM State-of-the-Art Reports, 2014
- Sustainable cement production—present and futureCement and Concrete Research, 2011
- The greening of the concrete industryCement and Concrete Composites, 2009
- A life-cycle assessment of Portland cement manufacturing: comparing the traditional process with alternative technologiesJournal of Cleaner Production, 2009
- Geopolymerisation: A review and prospects for the minerals industryMinerals Engineering, 2007
- Green house gas emissions due to concrete manufactureThe International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2007
- Geopolymer technology: the current state of the artJournal of Materials Science, 2006