Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) production is energy intensive and emits significant amount of carbon dioxide, thus
the need for sustainable alternatives in the construction industry. This study experimentally examines the mechanical properties
and durability of the high-performance geopolymer concrete (HPGPC) with 100% Class F fly ash as the sole binder. Sodium
hydroxide and sodium silicate solutions were used for activation of the geopolymer binder and the geopolymer specimens were
oven cured at 80°C for 48 h. OPC concrete was prepared with conventional M60 grade mix proportion and water cured as a
control sample for comparison. The mechanical properties evaluated were compressive strength at 7, 14, 28, 56 and 90 days and
split tensile strength at 7, 14 and 28 days. Durability was tested by rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT), 5% sulphuric acid
attack test and water permeability. The geopolymer concrete at 28 days showed a compressive strength of 68.58 MPa which is
equal to the conventional concrete of 69.18 MPa, and a split tensile strength of 4.83 MPa was also achieved, which is equal to
the conventional concrete of 5.08 MPa. The geopolymer concrete also had excellent durability, with a charge passed of 319
coulombs compared with 578 coulombs for conventional concrete. The geopolymer concrete exhibited lower weight and strength
loss under acid exposure of 2.02% and 14.4%, respectively, after 90 days of exposure, while the OPC concrete exhibited weight
and strength loss of 6.19% and 26.8%, respectively, after 90 days of exposure. Also, the penetration depth of water has decreased
from 14.5 mm to 11.2 mm. The outcome shows that the mechanical properties of this 100% fly ash based HPGPC are also
approximately equal to OPC-based test sample and the durability is better, suggesting that this material has potential as a
sustainable material for high-performance structural applications.
Ganraj Malhari Ghule, V. Bogar· International Journal for Re...· 0 citations
The manufacture of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) is a significant source of global carbon dioxide emissions,
creating a strong need within the construction sector for more sustainable binder alternatives. Fly ash-based geopolymer
concrete (FAGC) has developed as a potential sustainable alternative to conventional cement concrete by completely replacing
OPC with Class F fly ash activated using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃). Although many
investigations have studied the effects of alkali-activator type, molarity, and proportion on geopolymer concrete, relatively limited
attention has been given to the influence of fly ash fineness, expressed through particle size and specific surface area, on highstrength M50 geopolymer concrete. The present investigation compares two fineness levels from the same fly ash source—an asreceived coarse fraction and a processed/ground fine fraction—to determine their effect on the mechanical behaviour of M50
geopolymer concrete while maintaining the alkali-activator composition and other mix parameters unchanged. Specimens are
evaluated for compressive, split-tensile, flexural, shear, and pull-out strength in accordance with the applicable Indian Standard
(IS) codes to identify the fly ash fineness that provides the most favourable overall mechanical performance. The findings are
intended to contribute to the development of sustainable high-strength geopolymer concrete and promote its potential use as a
structural substitute for conventional M50 grade cement concrete
Tejaswini Shendage, V. Bogar· International Journal for Re...· 0 citations
The production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is one of the major sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the
construction industry, creating a need for more sustainable building materials. Fly ash-based geopolymer concrete (GPC) has
emerged as a promising alternative because it can reduce environmental impact while providing good engineering performance.
This study examines how different proportions of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃) affect the strength
and durability of GPC compared with conventional OPC concrete. Initial trials using NaOH:Na₂SiO₃ ratios of 1:0.5 and 0.5:1
were conducted to identify a suitable curing condition. The main investigation was then carried out using geopolymer mixes with
activator ratios of 1:1 and 0.5:1, all oven-cured at 80°C, with OPC concrete used as the control mix. Compressive, split tensile,
flexural, shear, and pull-out strengths were evaluated using Indian Standard methods, while durability was assessed through
water penetration and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests. The results showed that heat curing significantly improved early-age
strength, especially for the 0.5:1 mix. Although OPC concrete achieved slightly higher 28-day strength, the geopolymer mixes
showed comparable mechanical performance, lower water penetration, and clear evidence of successful geopolymerization.
Abhishek Vijay Jadhav, V. Bogar· International Journal for Re...· 0 citations
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