Even though, an innovative inorganic family of geopolymer concretes are eye-catching potential building materials, it is quite essential to comprehend the fire and thermal resistance of these structural materials at a very high temperature and also when experiencing fire with a view to make certain not only the safety and security of lives and properties but also to establish them as more sustainable edifice materials for future. The experimental and field observations of degree of cracking, spalling and loss of strength within the geopolymer concretes subsequent to exposure at elevated temperature and incidences of occurrences of disastrous fires extend an indication of their resistance against such severely catastrophic conditions. The impact of heat and fire on mechanical attributes viz., mechanical-compressive strength, flexural behavior, elastic modulus; durability—thermal shrinkage; chemical stability; the impact of thermal creep on compressive strength; and microstructure properties—XRD, FTIR, NMR, SEM as well as physico-chemical modifications of geopolymer composites subsequent to their exposures at elevated temperatures is reviewed in depth. The present scientific state-of-the-art review manuscript aimed to assess the fire and thermal resistance of geopolymer concrete along with its thermo-chemistry at a towering temperature in order to introduce this novel, most modern, user and eco-benign construction materials as potentially promising, sustainable, durable, thermal and fire-resistant building materials promoting their optimal and apposite applications for construction and infrastructure industries.
The concept of sustainability and the utilization of renewable bio-based sources have gained prominent attention in the construction industry. Material selection in construction plays a significant role in design and manufacturing process of sustainable building construction. Several studies are being carried out worldwide to investigate the potential use of natural fibres as reinforcement in concrete with its noticeable environmental benefits and mechanical properties. 3D printed concrete (3DPC) is another emerging technology, which has been under-developed for the past decade. The integration of reinforcement is one of the major challenges in the application of this new technology in real-life scenario. Presently, artificial fibres have been used as a reinforcement material for this special printable concrete mixture. However, natural fibre composites have received significant attention by many 3DPC constructions due to their lightweight energy conservation and environmentally friendly nature. These benchmarking characteristics unlock the wider area of natural fibres into the composite sector and challenge the substitution of artificial fibres. Hence, this paper presents a comprehensive review on the current practice and advantages of natural fibres in conventional concrete construction. Subsequently, with a view to the future efficient 3DPC construction, the potentials of natural fibres such as eco-friendly, higher impact, thermal, structural, and fire performance over the artificial fibres were highlighted, and their applicability in 3DPC as composites was recommended.
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