Abstract

Geopolymer concrete (GPC) is gaining attention as a sustainable alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) due to its potential to reduce the environmental impact of cement production, which accounts for roughly 7% of global CO₂ emissions. This study investigates the use of processed fly ash and alccofine as key ingredients in GPC to improve its workability and compressive strength. Experimental tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of different proportions of fly ash, alccofine content, and curing methods on the concrete’s performance. The results demonstrate that processed fly ash significantly enhances both the slump values, and the early-age compressive strength of GPC compared to unprocessed fly ash. Furthermore, the inclusion of alccofine boosts workability by up to 200%, while also improving compressive strength. Under heat curing conditions, compressive strength values reached as high as 73 MPa, while ambient curing achieved up to 32 MPa by the 28-day mark. This indicates that GPC can meet the compressive strength requirements of M25 grade concrete, even under ambient curing conditions. The research highlights the potential of GPC as a sustainable construction material, offering significant environmental benefits by repurposing industrial by-products like fly ash and alccofine. Additionally, GPC’s ability to achieve high compressive strength under ambient conditions makes it a viable option for a range of construction applications. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on green construction materials, presenting GPC as an effective solution for reducing the carbon footprint of the construction industry and advancing sustainable building practices.

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1. Malhotra V. Introduction: Sustainable development and concrete technology. ACI Concrete 2002;24(7).
2. Worrell E, Price L, Martin N, Hendriks C, Meida LO. Carbon dioxide emissions from the global cement industry 1. Annu Rev Energy Env. 2001;26(1):303–329. doi: 10.1146/annurev.energy.26.1.303.
3. Huntzinger DN, Eatmon TD. A life-cycle assessment of Portland cement manufacturing: comparing the traditional process with alternative technologies. J Clean Prod. 2009;17(7):668–675. doi: 1016/j.jclepro.2008.04.007.
4. Lokeshappa B, Dikshit AK. Disposal and management of flyash, 2001 International Conference on life sciences and Technology IPCEBEE, 2011.
5. Partha SD, Pradip N, Prabir KS. Strength and permeation properties of slag blended fly ash based geopolymer Adv Mater Res. 2013;651:168–173. doi: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.651.168.
6. Alonso S, Palomo A, Bakharev T, Sanjayan J, Cheng Y, Brooke N, et al. A conceptual model of geopolymerisation, PhD Thesis of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Melbourne: The University of Melbourne; 2006.
7. Davidovits J. High-alkali cements for 21st century concretes. Mater Sci Eng. 1994;144:383–398. doi: 10.14359/4523.
8. Xu H, Van Deventer JS. Geopolymerisation of multiple Miner Eng. 2002;15(12):1131–1139. doi: 10.1016/S0892-6875(02)00255-8.
9. Rajamane N, Nataraja M, Lakshmanan N, Ambily P. Literature survey on geopolymer concretes and a research plan in Indian The Masterbuilder. 2012;148–160.
10. Junaid MT, Kayali O, Khennane A, Black J. A mix design procedure for low calcium alkali activated fly ash-based concretes. Constr Build Mater. 2015;79:301–310. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.01.048.
11. Parthasarathy P, Reddy MS, Dinakar P, Rao BH, Satpathy B, MohantyA. A mix design procedure for geopolymer concrete with fly ash. J Clean Prod. 2016;133:117–125. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.05.041.
12. Hardjito D, Wallah SE, Sumajouw DM, Rangan BV. On the development of fly ash- based geopolymer ACI Materials Journal-American Concrete Institute 2004;101(6):467–472. doi:10.14359/13485
13. Noushini A, Aslani F, Castel A, Gilbert RI, Uy B, Foster S. Compressive stress- strain model for low-calcium fly ash-based geopolymer and heat-cured Portland cement Cem Concr Compos. 2016;73:136–146. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2016.07.004.
14. Jana D. The great pyramid debate: Evidence from detailed petrographic examinations of casing stones from the Great Pyramid of Khufu, a natural limestone from Tura, and a man- made (geopolymeric) limestone, Proceedings of the 29th Conference on Cement Microscopy. International Cement Microscopy Association, Quebec City, QC, 2007, 207–266.
15. Roy DM. Alkali-activated cements opportunities and challenges. Cem Concr Res. 1999;29(2):249–254. doi: 10.1016/S0008-8846(98)00093-3.
16. Fernandez-Jimenez AM, Palomo A, Lopez-Hombrados C. Engineering properties of alkali-activated fly ash ACI Mater J. 2006;103(2):106–112.
17. Weng L, Sagoe-Crentsil K. Dissolution processes, hydrolysis and condensation reactions during geopolymer synthesis: Part I—Low Si/Al ratio systems. J Mater 2007;42(9):2997–3006. doi: 10.1007/s10853-006-0820-2.
18. Bakharev T. Geopolymeric materials prepared using Class F fly ash and elevated temperature Cement and Concrete Research 2005;35(6):1224–1232. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2004.06.031.
19. Bakharev T. Durability of geopolymer materials in sodium and magnesium sulfate Cem Concr Res. 2005;35(6):1233–1246. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2004.09.002.
20. Perera D, Uchida O, Vance E, Finnie K. Influence of curing schedule on the integrity of J Mater Sci. 2007;42(9):3099–3106. doi: 10.1007/s10853-006-0533-6.
21. BIS, IS 3812 (Part 1) Indian Standard Pulverized Fuel Ash - Specification, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India,
22. BIS : 2386 (Part I) Indian Standard Methods of Test For aggregates Concrete - Part I Particle Size and Shape, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India,
23. BIS, IS : 383 Indian Standard Specification for Coarse and Fine Aggregates from Natural Sources for Concrete Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India,
24. BIS, IS : 2386 (Part I) Indian Standard Methods of Test For aggregates Concrete - Part I Particle Size and Shape, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India,
25. BIS, IS 456 Indian Standard Plain and Reinforced Concrete - Code of Practice, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India,
26. Parmar A, Patel DM, Chaudhari D, Raol H. Effect of alccofine and fly ash addition on the durability of high performance International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology, ESRSA Publications, 2014.
27. Jindal BB, Yadav A, Anand A, Badal A. Development of high strength fly ash based geopolymer concrete with IOSR-JMCE. 2016; 55–58. doi: 10.9790/1684-15010010155-58.
28. Deb PS, Nath P, Sarker PK. The effects of ground granulated blast-furnace slag blending with fly ash and activator content on the workability and strength properties of geopolymer concrete cured at ambient Mater Des. 2014;62:32–39. doi: 10.1016/j.matdes.2014.05.001.
29. IS 9103 Indian Standard Concrete Admixtures- Specification, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India,

Abstract

Geopolymer concrete (GPC) is gaining attention as a sustainable alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) due to its potential to reduce the environmental impact of cement production, which accounts for roughly 7% of global CO₂ emissions. This study investigates the use of processed fly ash and alccofine as key ingredients in GPC to improve its workability and compressive strength. Experimental tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of different proportions of fly ash, alccofine content, and curing methods on the concrete’s performance. The results demonstrate that processed fly ash significantly enhances both the slump values, and the early-age compressive strength of GPC compared to unprocessed fly ash. Furthermore, the inclusion of alccofine boosts workability by up to 200%, while also improving compressive strength. Under heat curing conditions, compressive strength values reached as high as 73 MPa, while ambient curing achieved up to 32 MPa by the 28-day mark. This indicates that GPC can meet the compressive strength requirements of M25 grade concrete, even under ambient curing conditions. The research highlights the potential of GPC as a sustainable construction material, offering significant environmental benefits by repurposing industrial by-products like fly ash and alccofine. Additionally, GPC’s ability to achieve high compressive strength under ambient conditions makes it a viable option for a range of construction applications. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on green construction materials, presenting GPC as an effective solution for reducing the carbon footprint of the construction industry and advancing sustainable building practices.

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Malhotra V. Introduction: Sustainable development and concrete technology. ACI Concrete 2002;24(7).
2. Worrell E, Price L, Martin N, Hendriks C, Meida LO. Carbon dioxide emissions from the global cement industry 1. Annu Rev Energy Env. 2001;26(1):303–329. doi: 10.1146/annurev.energy.26.1.303.
3. Huntzinger DN, Eatmon TD. A life-cycle assessment of Portland cement manufacturing: comparing the traditional process with alternative technologies. J Clean Prod. 2009;17(7):668–675. doi: 1016/j.jclepro.2008.04.007.
4. Lokeshappa B, Dikshit AK. Disposal and management of flyash, 2001 International Conference on life sciences and Technology IPCEBEE, 2011.
5. Partha SD, Pradip N, Prabir KS. Strength and permeation properties of slag blended fly ash based geopolymer Adv Mater Res. 2013;651:168–173. doi: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.651.168.
6. Alonso S, Palomo A, Bakharev T, Sanjayan J, Cheng Y, Brooke N, et al. A conceptual model of geopolymerisation, PhD Thesis of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Melbourne: The University of Melbourne; 2006.
7. Davidovits J. High-alkali cements for 21st century concretes. Mater Sci Eng. 1994;144:383–398. doi: 10.14359/4523.
8. Xu H, Van Deventer JS. Geopolymerisation of multiple Miner Eng. 2002;15(12):1131–1139. doi: 10.1016/S0892-6875(02)00255-8.
9. Rajamane N, Nataraja M, Lakshmanan N, Ambily P. Literature survey on geopolymer concretes and a research plan in Indian The Masterbuilder. 2012;148–160.
10. Junaid MT, Kayali O, Khennane A, Black J. A mix design procedure for low calcium alkali activated fly ash-based concretes. Constr Build Mater. 2015;79:301–310. doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.01.048.
11. Parthasarathy P, Reddy MS, Dinakar P, Rao BH, Satpathy B, MohantyA. A mix design procedure for geopolymer concrete with fly ash. J Clean Prod. 2016;133:117–125. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.05.041.
12. Hardjito D, Wallah SE, Sumajouw DM, Rangan BV. On the development of fly ash- based geopolymer ACI Materials Journal-American Concrete Institute 2004;101(6):467–472. doi:10.14359/13485
13. Noushini A, Aslani F, Castel A, Gilbert RI, Uy B, Foster S. Compressive stress- strain model for low-calcium fly ash-based geopolymer and heat-cured Portland cement Cem Concr Compos. 2016;73:136–146. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2016.07.004.
14. Jana D. The great pyramid debate: Evidence from detailed petrographic examinations of casing stones from the Great Pyramid of Khufu, a natural limestone from Tura, and a man- made (geopolymeric) limestone, Proceedings of the 29th Conference on Cement Microscopy. International Cement Microscopy Association, Quebec City, QC, 2007, 207–266.
15. Roy DM. Alkali-activated cements opportunities and challenges. Cem Concr Res. 1999;29(2):249–254. doi: 10.1016/S0008-8846(98)00093-3.
16. Fernandez-Jimenez AM, Palomo A, Lopez-Hombrados C. Engineering properties of alkali-activated fly ash ACI Mater J. 2006;103(2):106–112.
17. Weng L, Sagoe-Crentsil K. Dissolution processes, hydrolysis and condensation reactions during geopolymer synthesis: Part I—Low Si/Al ratio systems. J Mater 2007;42(9):2997–3006. doi: 10.1007/s10853-006-0820-2.
18. Bakharev T. Geopolymeric materials prepared using Class F fly ash and elevated temperature Cement and Concrete Research 2005;35(6):1224–1232. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2004.06.031.
19. Bakharev T. Durability of geopolymer materials in sodium and magnesium sulfate Cem Concr Res. 2005;35(6):1233–1246. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2004.09.002.
20. Perera D, Uchida O, Vance E, Finnie K. Influence of curing schedule on the integrity of J Mater Sci. 2007;42(9):3099–3106. doi: 10.1007/s10853-006-0533-6.
21. BIS, IS 3812 (Part 1) Indian Standard Pulverized Fuel Ash - Specification, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India,
22. BIS : 2386 (Part I) Indian Standard Methods of Test For aggregates Concrete - Part I Particle Size and Shape, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India,
23. BIS, IS : 383 Indian Standard Specification for Coarse and Fine Aggregates from Natural Sources for Concrete Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India,
24. BIS, IS : 2386 (Part I) Indian Standard Methods of Test For aggregates Concrete - Part I Particle Size and Shape, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India,
25. BIS, IS 456 Indian Standard Plain and Reinforced Concrete - Code of Practice, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India,
26. Parmar A, Patel DM, Chaudhari D, Raol H. Effect of alccofine and fly ash addition on the durability of high performance International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology, ESRSA Publications, 2014.
27. Jindal BB, Yadav A, Anand A, Badal A. Development of high strength fly ash based geopolymer concrete with IOSR-JMCE. 2016; 55–58. doi: 10.9790/1684-15010010155-58.
28. Deb PS, Nath P, Sarker PK. The effects of ground granulated blast-furnace slag blending with fly ash and activator content on the workability and strength properties of geopolymer concrete cured at ambient Mater Des. 2014;62:32–39. doi: 10.1016/j.matdes.2014.05.001.
29. IS 9103 Indian Standard Concrete Admixtures- Specification, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi, India,