Engineering Properties of Hybrid Fibre Reinforced Ternary Blend Geopolymer Concrete

Abstract

The primary aim of this research is to find an alternative for Portland cement using inorganic geopolymers. This study investigated the effect of steel and polypropylene fibres hybridisation on ternary blend geopolymer concrete (TGPC) engineering properties using fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and metakaolin as the source materials. The properties like compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength and modulus of elasticity of ternary blend geopolymer concrete. The standard tests were conducted on TGPC with steel fibres, polypropylene fibres and a combination of steel and polypropylene fibres in hybrid form. A total number of 45 specimens were tested and compared to determine each property. The grade of concrete considered was M55. The variables studied were the volume fraction of fibres, viz. steel fibres (0%, 0.5% and 1%) and polypropylene fibres (0%, 0.1%, 0.15%, 0.2% and 0.25%). The experimental results reveal that the addition of fibres in a hybrid form enhances the mechanical properties of TGPC. The increase in the compressive strength was nominal, and a significant improvement was observed in splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity. Also, an attempt to obtain the relation between the different engineering properties was made with different volume fractions of fibre.

Shear Strength of Hybrid Fibre-Reinforced Ternary Blend Geopolymer Concrete Beams under Flexure

“…These three materials were combined to form a ternary binder for the TGPC. The detailed properties of the source materials and their morphological information were provided in the previous study performed by the authors [7,40].…”

“…It reduces the carbon footprint and saves water for curing since the strength of GPC is from the polymerisation process, while the strength of OPC is due to the hydration of cement [6]. Ternary blend geopolymer concrete (TGPC) is developed by mixing three different source materials of varying particle sizes to form a denser concrete, resulting in improved properties compared to GPC [7,8]. Many researchers, aiming to provide knowledge about the effect of such concrete as structural elements, have discussed the structural behaviour of reinforced GPC members.…”

Effect of Hybrid Fibres on the Durability Characteristics of Ternary Blend Geopolymer Concrete

“…The superplasticiser, water and the alkaline activator were added to the dry mix. The steel and polypropylene fibres were added at regular intervals as per the designed volume fractions [8]. The fresh concrete was poured into the mould in three layers and vibrated using a table vibrator.…”

“…The design standards available for the reinforced cement concrete can also be used for reinforced geopolymer concrete members [6]. GPC manufactured with industrial by-products such as fly ash, GGBS, silica fumes, etc., can result in high early strength, more significant economic benefits, less carbon dioxide emission, and improved service life [7,8]. Fly ash GPC possess high early strength and enhanced durability properties like reduced permeability, especially against aggressive environments [9].…”

“…The feasibility of utilising three different waste materials, namely fly ash, GGBS, and metakaolin for the manufacturing of ternary blend geopolymer concrete (TGPC) and the effect of hybrid fibres on TGPC have been previously studied in terms of strength [8,[24][25][26]. The GPC in this study consists of fly ash, GGBS, and metakaolin as raw materials to produce the ternary blend geopolymer-based binder.…”