Fresh and hardened properties of self-consolidating concrete incorporating alumina silicates

Abstract

From recent decades, inordinate use of Portland cement has influenced the earth to a greater degree. The generation of concrete adds to the outflow of ozone harming substances because of warming of limestone and consumption of non-renewable energy sources. Producing one ton of Portland cement nearly emanates equivalently one ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Davidovits coined the term geopolymer concrete which utilizes zero percent cement comprising of composite of silicon (Si) and aluminium (Al) present in pozzolanic materials activated by sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3). The source materials for silica and alumina could be kaolinite, clays obtained by natural minerals and alternatively, industrial wastes such as fly ash, silica fume, slag, rice-husk, red mud, etc. This material reacts with alkaline solution producing alumino-silicate gel which acts as the binder in the mortar/concrete. The present work was aimed at studying the fresh and hardened properties of geopolymer concrete with self-consolidating characteristics blended with fly ash and GGBS. Tests such as L-box, V-funnel, slump flow were studied by varying the dosage of superplasticizer and viscosity modifying admixtures to study the fresh properties in it. Compressive strength for varying molarities was also studied which showed higher compressive strength with increase in molarity.