The environmental impact associated with the production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) has prompted extensive research into sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives for construction materials. Geopolymer concrete has emerged as a promising substitute due to its significantly lower carbon emissions, improved durability, and high mechanical performance. However, conventional geopolymer systems typically require liquid alkaline activators, which pose practical challenges in handling, storage, and field application. To address these limitations, one-part geopolymer concrete (OPGPC) has been developed, where solid alkaline activators are mixed with aluminosilicate materials and water, similar to the conventional cement concrete mixing process. This study focuses on the design and optimization of one-part geopolymer concrete using Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) and Metakaolin (MK) as binder materials. Four different mix proportions were prepared by varying the ratio of GGBS and metakaolin while maintaining other parameters constant. Experimental investigation was carried out to evaluate the compressive strength of cube specimens and flexural strength of beam specimens at 7 days and 28 days under ambient curing conditions. The results demonstrate that the combined use of GGBS and metakaolin significantly influences strength development, workability, and microstructural characteristics of geopolymer concrete. The optimized mix exhibited superior mechanical performance, confirming the feasibility of one-part geopolymer concrete as a sustainable and practical alternative to conventional cement-based concrete.
Ladva et al. (Sun,) studied this question.