Experimental Analysis on GGBS and Fly Ash in Geopolymer Concrete

From modest buildings to large dams and reservoirs, concrete is widely used in construction. The second highest product consumed globally is taken as cement. But the trade of cement releases CO2 into the climate, which significantly contributes to global warming. In contrast to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) based concrete, geopolymer concrete (GPC) is a unique method of concrete that is produced from industrial wastes like fly ash as well as GGBS. With the use of geopolymer, concrete constituents are replaced and it decreases the amount of cement required in the construction sector. This paper represents the study of mechanical and microstructural features of various GPC mixes. To achieve the various qualities of concrete, cement is substituted for fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) at ratios of 40% and 60%, respectively. In this investigation, fly ash, sodium silicate as well as sodium hydroxide (Na2SiO3) are employed to make the concrete mix. To establish the mechanical characteristics of GPC, specimens are cast and allowable to cure for different curing times for M25 and M50 concrete, such as 7 and 28 days at ambient room temperature. GPC is tested under split tension strength, flexural strength as well as compressive strength, which are analysed in this paper. Moreover, it is undertaken to examine the geopolymer specimens' microstructure, phase composition, and heat stability, respectively. Fly ash and GGBS concrete work well at 7 and 28 days compared to the conventional techniques.