Literature Review of Advances in Materials Used in Development of Alkali-Activated Mortars, Concretes, and Composites

Materials providing an improvement and conformance to increasing technical and ecological requirements plays a crucial role in the sustainable development of resource- and energy-intensive cements and concretes. Over the past decades, an extensive resource base of natural and technogenic materials has been established for alkali-activated materials (AAMs) and is being continuously expanded with the rapid development of the alkali-activation theory and technology and the ongoing studies of many research groups around the world. This paper reviews the recent progress in fiber reinforcing; potential assessment of various aluminosilicates for alkali activation (AA) and modification of alkali-activated cements (AACs); replacement of natural aggregates with wastes and by-products; replacement of expensive alkali activators with more appropriate alternatives; and modification of AACs by chemical admixtures, metals, and nanomaterials. This literature review was carried out from the perspectives of the suitability of materials and their effects on the efficiency improvement of engineering, economic, and ecological performances AAMs.