By: Kshama Lovanshi and Harsh Rathore
1Research Scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, Sanjeev Agarwal Global Educational University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
2Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Sanjeev Agarwal Global Educational University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
Abstract
This research investigates the impact of micro and macro steel fibers on the compressive strength of
geopolymer concrete (GPC). The study utilizes locally sourced materials, including river sand,
granite aggregates, fly ash, and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) in a 50:50 ratio as
alumino-silicate materials. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃) were employed
as activators, with the addition of a superplasticizer (Conplast SP430) to enhance workability. Four
GPC mixes were analyzed: GPC without fibers, GPC1MI with 1% microfibers, GPC1MA with 1%
macro fibers, and GPC1MI1MA containing both micro and macro fibers. The study involved testing
cube and cylinder specimens after 28 days of curing. The results show that the addition of fibers
significantly improves compressive strength. The GPC1MI1MA mix achieved the highest compressive
strengths of 42.70 MPa for cubes and 37.40 MPa for cylinders, reflecting increases of 33% and 35%
respectively compared to the GPC mix without fibers. The findings suggest that the combined use of
micro and macro fibers in GPC enhances the material’s mechanical properties, making it suitable for
sustainable construction applications.
Keywords: Geopolymer concrete, micro steel fibers, macro steel fibers, compressive strength, tensile
strength, fiber reinforcement, load-bearing capacity
Citation:
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