Evaluating shear strength of sand-GGBFS based geopolymer composite material

Abstract

Geopolymer has been emerging as a novel and sustainable replacement for the traditional soil improvement materials, such as ordinary Portland cement OPC and lime, which have severe environmental impacts. In this paper, a series of unconfined compression and triaxial tests were conducted on sand and sand-ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) based geopolymer. A solution of sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide was employed for the geopolymerization process. Results revealed that adding the GGBFS resulted in a significant increase in the strength properties. This result indicates that geopolymer acted as a cementation agent, providing better bonding between the sand particles and consequently improving the performance of the treated sand.