Key Engineering Materials Submitted: 2019-04-18

ISSN: 1662-9795, Vol. 821, pp 472-478 Accepted: 2019-05-23

© 2019 Trans Tech Publications Ltd, Switzerland Online: 2019-09-11

A Review Study on the Characterization of Geopolymer Concrete

Shwan H. Said*
Department of Civil Techniques, Northern Technical University, Mousil, Iraq
Shwan@ntu.edu.iq

Keywords: Geopolymer concrete, Fly ash, Alkaline solution, Sodium hydroxide, Sodium silicate

Abstract: Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is the essential binding material to produce the OPC
concrete. Production of OPC is recently attaining a rate of 2.6 billion ton per year worldwide and
growing 5% annually. OPC contributes at rate of 5 – 8% of human-worldwide CO2 emissions
which are the greenhouse gases pollute the atmosphere. Geopolymer concrete (GPC) is a creative,
sustainable, economical and eco-friendly material for construction industry, which is a suitable
alternative to the OPC concrete, able to extensively curb the CO2 emissions. To prepare this kind of
concrete, a combination of pozzolanic material such as fly ash (FA), and/or ground granulated blast
furnace slag (GGBS) rich with silica and alumina can react with alkaline activator solution
producing aluminosilicate gel, acting as a superb binding material for fine and coarse aggregates
under special conditions of curing. This study highlights the recent explorations on geopolymer
mortars and concrete. Effect of chemicals such as sulphuric acid, effect of fly ash partial
replacement with different binding materials, effect of concentration of alkaline activator solutions
and the effect of temperature and time of curing variation have been discussed on durability and
mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete. Results have shown superb resistance of
geopolymer concrete to the detrimental effects of sulphuric acid on weight and compressive
strength. Furthermore, fly ash partial replacement with silica fume, OPC or GGBS, or nano-silica
inclusion in GPC has a positive effect on the GPC properties. Finally, using high concentration of
sodium hydroxide has a detrimental effect on GPC properties.

Introduction
The main concept of geopolymers was discovered by Davidovits in 1978 to establish a new
binder as an alternative to OPC binder. The main ingredients of geopolymers are the source material
and catalytic liquid system. The source material is composed of aluminium and silicon and
represented in the waste materials of fly ash (FA) generated from thermal power plants and ground
granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) generated from iron steel plants. The catalytic liquid system
is used as alkaline activator solution consists of sodium silicate solution and sodium hydroxide
solution which react with the source material producing chains or networks of inorganic molecules.
This reaction is called “polymerization process”.
Important parameters affecting the geopolymer concrete (GPC) and mortar properties were
discussed through the latest researches and presented in this review study. Effect of chemicals,
effect of fly ash partial replacement with several binding materials and the effect of sodium
hydroxide concentration on the GPC and mortar properties were demonstrated in this study. Also,
the study in this paper covered the variation effect of temperature and time of curing on durability
and GPC properties. The research process is ongoing in this field to produce a suitable alternative to
OPC binder serving the construction industry.

Parameters Affecting Durability and Compressive Strength Of Geopolymer Concrete

Resistance to Chemicals. Many researchers have demonstrated the durability of fly ash-based
geopolymer concrete and its better resistance to the aggressive environment. Sathia et al. (2008) [1]
revealed that the loss in geopolymer concrete weight is 0.5%, which is much less than the
corresponding loss in normal concrete, of about 25%, when exposed to 3% sulphuric acid at age of
90 days. Moreover, Almost the same result have been concluded by Thokchom et al.(2009) [2] with

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