Clean production and properties of geopolymer concrete; A review

Abstract

The incessant production of cement has increased the amount of CO2 being released into the atmosphere; thus, aggravating the issue of global warming which has an adverse effect on the environment. Therefore, a more sustainable approach and a careful review of the existing admixtures used to replace conventional concrete have become highly imperative. To this end, many investigations on geopolymer concrete (GeoPC), which exhibit similar or better durability and high strength when compared to conventional concrete, have been carried out by various researchers. GeoPC concrete has the advantage of cement replacement with supplementary cementitious materials that are combined with alkali activated solutions. GeoPC is a relatively new, innovative and sustainable engineering material with many advantages over ordinary concrete. For example, it exhibits higher early strength, lower natural resource consumption, low cost and ability to form various structural shapes. GeoPC is an essential material that can be used for concrete building repairs, maintenance of road transport infrastructure and reducing the negative environmental effects. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive review of GeoPC material, its constituents, production techniques, curing regimes, properties and its potential applications in the construction industry.