Cookies Notification

We use cookies to improve your website experience. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy.
×

Abstract

Steel fiber reinforced geopolymer concrete (SFRGC) shows excellent mechanical properties comparable to steel fiber reinforced concrete. However, research on the durability of SFRGC is scarce. This paper presents the carbonation performances of SFRGC, including the carbonation depth and strength variation during carbonation. The results show that the permeability and carbonation depth of SFRGC are close to those of plain geopolymer concrete (GC). Their carbonation depths are much deeper than those of cement concrete because of the lower alkali content of the geopolymer matrix. Carbonation hardly influences the final flexural strength of plain GC, but the flexural strength of SFRGC declines significantly during carbonation because of the decrease in steel fiber-geopolymer matrix bond strength. The scanning electron microscope results show that the failure mode in uncarbonated SFRGC specimens is fiber rupture, while in carbonated SFRGC specimens, fiber pullout is the failure mode. These findings suggest that using SFRGC in the atmosphere is not recommended.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

References

ASTM C293-16. 2016. Standard test method for flexural strength of concrete (using simple beam with center-point loading). ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM C39-18. 2018. Standard test method for compressive strength of cylindrical concrete specimens. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.
ASTM C642-13. 2013. Standard test method for specific gravity, absorption, and voids in hardened concrete. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.
Badar M.S., Kupwade-Patil K., Bernal S.A., Provis J.L., Allouche E.N. 2014. Corrosion of steel bars induced by accelerated carbonation in low and high calcium fly ash geopolymer concretes. Construction and Building Materials, 61: 79–89.
Bernal S.A., Provis J.L. 2014. Durability of alkali-activated materials: progress and perspectives. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 97(4): 997–1008.
Bernal S.A., Provis J.L., Walkley B., San Nicolas R., Gehman J.D., Brice D.G.,et al. 2013. Gel nanostructure in alkali-activated binders based on slag and fly ash, and effects of accelerated carbonation. Cement and Concrete Research, 53: 127–144.
Bhutta A., Borges P.H., Zanotti C., Farooq M., Banthia N. 2017. Flexural behavior of geopolymer composites reinforced with steel and polypropylene macro fibers. Cement and Concrete Composites, 80: 31–40.
Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC). 2014. Fossil-fuel CO2 emissions by nation. Available from https://cdiac.ess-dive.lbl.gov/ftp/ndp030/nation.1751_2014.ems.
Danying G., Jun Z. 2016. Experimental research on mechanical performance of steel fiber reinforced concrete under the carbonization. Concrete, 3: 43–45. [In Chinese.]
EN 197-1. 2011. Cement - Part 1: composition, specifications and conformity criteria for common cements. CEN, Brussels.
Fernández-Jiménez A.M., Palomo A., López-Hombrados C. 2006. Engineering properties of alkali-activated fly ash concrete. ACI Materials Journal, 103(2): 106–112.
Ganesan N., Abraham R., Deepa Raj S. 2015. Durability characteristics of steel fibre reinforced geopolymer concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 93: 471–476.
GB 175-2007. 2007. Common portland cement. Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China, Beijing. [In Chinese].
GB/T 50081-2019. 2019. Standard for test methods of concrete physical and mechanical properties. Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China, Beijing. [In Chinese].
GB/T 50082-2009. 2009. Standard for test methods of long-term performance and durability of ordinary concrete. Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China, Beijing. [In Chinese].
Hannawi K., Bian H., Prince-Agbodjan W., Raghavan B. 2016. Effect of different types of fibers on the microstructure and the mechanical behavior of Ultra-High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concretes. Composites Part B: Engineering, 86: 214–220.
Helmerich R., Zunkel A. 2014. Partial collapse of the Berlin Congress Hall on May 21st, 1980. Engineering Failure Analysis, 43: 107–119.
Huang G., Ji Y., Li J., Hou Z., Jin C. 2018. Use of slaked lime and Portland cement to improve the resistance of MSWI bottom ash-GBFS geopolymer concrete against carbonation. Construction and Building Materials, 166: 290–300.
Huang Q., Shi X.S., Wang Q.Y., Tang L. 2015. The influence of carbonization on the performances of fly ash geopolymeric concrete. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 744–746: 1519–1526.
Khan M.S.H., Castel A., Noushini A. 2017. Carbonation of a low-calcium fly ash geopolymer concrete. Magazine of Concrete Research, 69(1): 24–34.
Larsen I.L., Thorstensen R.T. 2020. The influence of steel fibres on compressive and tensile strength of ultra high performance concrete: a review. Construction and Building Materials, 256: 119459.
Law D.W., Adam A.A., Molyneaux T.K., Patnaikuni I., Wardhono A. 2015. Long term durability properties of class F fly ash geopolymer concrete. Materials and Structures, 48(3): 721–731.
Lee B.Y., Cho C.G., Lim H.J., Song J.K., Yang K.H., Li V.C. 2012. Strain hardening fiber reinforced alkali-activated mortar: a feasibility study. Construction and Building Materials, 37: 15–20.
Lee S., van Riessen A., Chon C.M. 2016. Benefits of sealed-curing on compressive strength of fly ash-based geopolymers. Materials, 9(7): 598.
Li F., Chen D., Yang Z., Lu Y., Zhang H., Li S. 2022. Effect of mixed fibers on fly ash-based geopolymer resistance against carbonation. Construction and Building Materials, 322: 126394.
Li Z., Li S. 2018. Carbonation resistance of fly ash and blast furnace slag based geopolymer concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 163: 668–680.
Luan C., Shi X., Zhang K., Utashev N., Yang F., Dai J., et al. 2021a. A mix design method of fly ash geopolymer concrete based on factors analysis. Construction and Building Materials, 272: 121612.
Luan C., Wang Q., Yang F., Zhang K., Utashev N., Dai J., et al. 2021b. Practical prediction models of tensile strength and reinforcement-concrete bond strength of low-calcium fly ash geopolymer concrete. Polymers, 13(6): 875.
McLellan B.C., Williams R.P., Lay J., Van Riessen A., Corder G.D. 2011. Costs and carbon emissions for geopolymer pastes in comparison to ordinary portland cement. Journal of Cleaner Production, 19(9–10): 1080–1090.
Mo K.H., Alengaram U.J., Jumaat M.Z. 2016. Structural performance of reinforced geopolymer concrete members: a review. Construction and Building Materials, 120: 251–264.
Nematollahi B., Sanjayan J. 2014. Effect of different superplasticizers and activator combinations on workability and strength of fly ash based geopolymer. Materials & Design, 57: 667–672.
Nuruddin M.F., Malkawi A.B., Fauzi A., Mohammed B.S., Almattarneh H.M. 2016. Evolution of geopolymer binders: a review. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 133(1): 012052.
Park S., Pour-Ghaz M. 2018. What is the role of water in the geopolymerization of metakaolin? Construction and Building Materials, 182: 360–370.
Pasupathy K., Berndt M., Sanjayan J., Rajeev P., Cheema D.S. 2018. Durability performance of precast fly ash–based geopolymer concrete under atmospheric exposure conditions. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 30(3): 04018007.
Provis J.L. 2018. Alkali-activated materials. Cement and Concrete Research, 114: 40–48.
Provis J.L., Arbi K., Bernal S.A., Bondar D., Buchwald A., Castel A., et al. 2019. RILEM TC 247-DTA round robin test: mix design and reproducibility of compressive strength of alkali-activated concretes. Materials and Structures, 52(5): 99.
Ranjbar N., Mehrali M., Mehrali M., Alengaram U.J., Jumaat M.Z. 2016a. High tensile strength fly ash based geopolymer composite using copper coated micro steel fiber. Construction and Building Materials, 112: 629–638.
Ranjbar N., Talebian S., Mehrali M., Kuenzel C., Metselaar H.S.C., Jumaat M.Z. 2016b. Mechanisms of interfacial bond in steel and polypropylene fiber reinforced geopolymer composites. Composites Science and Technology, 122: 73–81.
Ren X., Zhang L. 2018. Experimental study of interfacial transition zones between geopolymer binder and recycled aggregate. Construction and Building Materials, 167: 749–756.
Rovnaník P. 2010. Effect of curing temperature on the development of hard structure of metakaolin-based geopolymer. Construction and Building Materials, 24(7): 1176–1183.
Sarker P.K. 2011. Bond strength of reinforcing steel embedded in fly ash-based geopolymer concrete. Materials and Structures, 44(5): 1021–1030.
Shaikh F.U.A. 2013a. Review of mechanical properties of short fibre reinforced geopolymer composites. Construction and Building Materials, 43: 37–49.
Shaikh F.U.A. 2013b. Deflection hardening behaviour of short fibre reinforced fly ash based geopolymer composites. Materials & Design, 50: 674–682.
Shi X.S., Collins F.G., Zhao X.L., Wang Q.Y. 2012. Mechanical properties and microstructure analysis of fly ash geopolymeric recycled concrete. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 237–238: 20–29.
Singh A.P., Singhal D. 2011. Permeability of steel fibre reinforced concrete influence of fibre parameters. Procedia Engineering, 14: 2823–2829.
Škvára F., Kopecký L., Nemecek J., Bittnar Z. 2006. Microstructure of geopolymer materials based on fly ash. Ceramics-Silikaty, 50(4): 208–215. Available from http://www.geopolymery.eu/aitom/upload/documents/publikace/2006/skvara_208_215.pdf.
Stochino F., Fadda M.L., Mistretta F. 2018. Low cost condition assessment method for existing RC bridges. Engineering Failure Analysis, 86: 56–71.
US Geological Survey (USGS). 2018. Cement statistics and information. Available from  https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/cement/mcs-2018-cemen.pdf.
Uygunolu T. 2011. Effect of fiber type and content on bleeding of steel fiber reinforced concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 25(2): 766–772.
Yamazaki Y., Kim J., Kadoya K., Hama Y. 2021. Physical and chemical relationships in accelerated carbonation conditions of alkali-activated cement based on type of binder and alkali activator. Polymers, 13(4): 671.
Zhang P., Li Q., Chen Y., Shi Y., Ling Y.F. 2019. Durability of steel fiber-reinforced concrete containing SiO2 nano-particles. Materials, 12(13): 2184.
Zuhua Z., Xiao Y., Huajun Z., Yue C. 2009. Role of water in the synthesis of calcined kaolin-based geopolymer. Applied Clay Science, 43(2): 218–223.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

cover image Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering
Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering
Volume 50Number 4April 2023
Pages: 294 - 305

History

Received: 11 December 2020
Accepted: 16 September 2022
Accepted manuscript online: 30 November 2022
Version of record online: 1 March 2023

Data Availability Statement

Data generated or analyzed during this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Key Words

  1. geopolymer concrete
  2. steel fiber
  3. carbonation
  4. flexural strength

Authors

Affiliations

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Underground Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Failure Mechanics and Engineering Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – original draft, and Writing – review & editing.
Xiaoshuang Shi
MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Underground Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Failure Mechanics and Engineering Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Author Contributions: Supervision and Writing – review & editing.
Qingyuan Wang
MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Underground Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Failure Mechanics and Engineering Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Author Contributions: Supervision and Resources.
Nodir Utashev
MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Underground Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Author Contribution: Investigation.
Rana Faisal Tufail
Department of Civil Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah Campus 410075, Pakistan
Author Contribution: Writing – review & editing.
Department of Civil Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah Campus 410075, Pakistan
Author Contribution: Writing – review & editing.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization: CL
Investigation: CL, NU
Methodology: CL
Resources: QW
Supervision: XS, QW
Writing – original draft: CL
Writing – review & editing: CL, XS, RFT, AM

Competing Interests

The authors declare that there are no competing interests.

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Other Metrics

Citations

Cite As

Export Citations

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

There are no citations for this item

View Options

Get Access

Login options

Check if you access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Subscribe

Click on the button below to subscribe to Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering

Purchase options

Purchase this article to get full access to it.

Restore your content access

Enter your email address to restore your content access:

Note: This functionality works only for purchases done as a guest. If you already have an account, log in to access the content to which you are entitled.

View options

PDF

View PDF

Full Text

View Full Text

Media

Media

Other

Tables

Share Options

Share

Share the article link

Share on social media