Effective combinations of different fiber reinforcements and super-plasticizers for optimal performance of geo-polymer concrete
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate and compare the influence of various fiber types (polypropylene, steel and glass) on the workability, mechanical properties, ductility, impact resistance, durability and microscopic properties of geopolymer concrete (GPC) with conventional concrete (CC).
Design/methodology/approach
The CC and GPC of M40 grade were incorporated with an optimum 1% of fibers and superplasticizers were added in a ratio of 2% by weight of the geopolymer binder. The slump cone and compaction factor tests were performed to analyze the workability. To evaluate the mechanical performance of GPC, the compressive strength (CS), split tensile strength (STS), flexural strength (FS) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) tests were performed. A falling weight impact test was performed to determine the impact energy (IE) absorbed, the number of blows for initial cracking, the number of blows for complete failure and the ductility aspect.
Findings
Fibers and superplasticizers significantly improve GPC properties. The study found that fibers reduce the brittleness of concrete, improving the impact and mechanical strength compared to similar-grade CC. The steel fibers-reinforced GPC has a 15.42% higher CS than CC after three days, showing a faster CS gain. After 28 days, GPC and CC have MOE in the range of 23.9–25.5 GPa and 28.8–30.9 GPa, respectively. The ultimate IE of the GPC with fibers was found to be 5.43% to 21.17% higher than GPC without fibers.
Originality/value
The findings of the study can be used to explore different combinations of raw materials and mix designs to optimize the performance of GPC.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to Dr. Vishwanath Karad, MIT World Peace University, Pune, for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout this research
Availability of data and material: Data will be made available on request.
Funding: The authors declare that there is no funding information available that could influence the work reported in this paper.
Conflict of interest: On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval: This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Citation
Sathe, S., Dandin, S., Wagale, M. and Mali, P.R. (2024), "Effective combinations of different fiber reinforcements and super-plasticizers for optimal performance of geo-polymer concrete", World Journal of Engineering, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJE-04-2024-0216
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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