Nawaz, M, Heitor, A orcid.org/0000-0002-2346-8250 and Sivakumar, M (2020) Geopolymers in construction - Recent developments. Construction and Building Materials, 260. 120472. ISSN 0950-0618
Abstract
Geopolymers are inorganic materials that result from the alkali activation of aluminosilicates. The aluminosilicates source materials can either occur naturally (e.g. kaolin, metakaolin, rice husk ash, volcanic rock powders) or are produced by industrial processes (e.g. fly-ash, blast furnace slag). While the potential application of geopolymers as construction materials (e.g. concrete manufacturing and soil stabilization) has been studied in the past, their widespread use has been limited. This is mainly because the technology is still relatively new and research in this field is still emerging. However, the use of geopolymers in lieu of conventional binders (e.g. cement and lime) has substantial environmental advantages particularly in terms of the energy expended for their production and greenhouse gas emissions. The current trend to enhance sustainability practices in the construction industry has recently driven research in this area. This paper aims to offer a comprehensive overview of past studies on geopolymers synthesised from various precursors, the factors affecting geopolymerisation process, their microstructural characteristics as well as mechanical, chemical, thermal and environmental properties of geopolymers. Further, recent developments associated with the use of geopolymers as construction materials in civil engineering applications have also been discussed. Research findings show that geopolymers can achieve comparable or superior performance to conventional binders and/or concrete in terms of shear strength and durability but with a reduced environmental footprint.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2020, Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is an author produced version of an article published in Construction and Building Materials. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Geopolymers; Construction material; Concrete manufacturing; Soil stabilization; Sustainability |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Civil Engineering (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 07 Aug 2020 11:38 |
Last Modified: | 28 Aug 2021 00:38 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120472 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:164189 |