Fly Ash Based Geopolymer Concrete – Some Durability Studies and Behavior of Beams and Columns

Abstract

Durability of concrete is one of the important design criteria, apart from mechanical strength since it ensures that structures will satisfy the design life criteria for which it is intended without any major repair and rehabilitation work. It is now a well established fact that geopolymer concrete gives superior mechanical strength in a short period compared to ordinary Portland cement using materials like fly ash, GGBFS, rice husk ash, etc. Several durability studies were taken up and results were compared with concrete prepared from Ordinary Portland cement in order to enhance real life application of geopolymer concrete. It was found that when geopolymer concrete was subjected to acid attack, sulphate attack, chloride resistance, sorptivity and accelerated corrosion test exhibited superior performance as compared to Ordinary Portland cement concrete. Beams and columns were casted of geopolymer concrete & ordinary Portland cement concrete. Load carrying capacity and load displacement behavior of specimens of both categories was evaluated and compared. Reinforced geopolymer concrete exhibited similar behavior as that of the reinforced concrete made from Ordinary Portland Cement. This comparison is an indicator that concepts for design of later category of specimens may be extended for design of former category of elements.