L OG I N

C REATEANAC C OU NT( /com pon en t/com profiler/registers.h tm l)

HOME(/) ABOUTUS(/aboutus.html) CONTACTUS(/contactus.html) ADVERTISEWITHUS(/advertisewithus.html)

(/)

(/component/banners/click/215.html)
MAGAZINES

NEWS(/news.html)

ARTICLES

SUBSCRIPTION(/subscription/levels.html)

PRODUCTS

EQUIPMENTS

PEOPLEWATCH(/peoplewatch.html)

REPORTS

INTERVIEWS(/interviews.html)

EVENTS(/events.html)

Print (/articles/concrete/10827geopolymerconcreteanewecofriendlymaterialof
construction.html?tmpl=component&print=1&page=)
M
Email
(/component/mailto/?

Search...

tmpl=component&template=protostar&link=be778c0d60464a3c539ee57ea485ce3a37f28e61)
GeopolymerConcreteANewEcofriendlyMaterialofConstruction
N. P. Rajamane, Head, Concrete Composites Lab N Lakshmanan, Former Director and Presently
ProjectAdvisorStructuralEnggResearchCentre,Chennai,andNatarajaMC,Professor,SJCollegeof
Engg,Mysore
General
ThecementindustryistheIndiassecondhighestpayerofCentralExciseandMajorcontributortoGDP.
Withinfrastructuredevelopmentgrowingandthehousingsectorbooming,thedemandforcementisalso
bound to increase. However, the cement industry is extremely energy intensive. After aluminium and
steel,themanufacturingofPortlandcementisthemostenergyintensiveprocessasitconsumes4GJper
tonneofenergy.Afterthermalpowerplantsandtheironandsteelsector,theIndiancementindustryis
thethirdlargestuserofcoalinthecountry.In200304,11,400millionkWhofpowerwasconsumedby
theIndiancementindustry.Thecementindustrycomprises130largecementplantsandmorethan300
minicementplants.Theindustryscapacityatthebeginningoftheyear200809wasabout198million
tones.ThecementdemandinIndiaisexpectedtogrowat10%annuallyinthemediumtermbuoyedby
(/component/banners/click/14.html)
housing, infrastructure and corporate capital expenditures. Considering an expected production and
consumptiongrowthof9to10percent,thedemandsupplypositionofthecementindustryisexpectedto
improvefrom200809onwards.
Coalbased thermal power installations in India contribute about 65% of the total installed capacity for
electricity generation. In order to meet the growing energy demand of the country, coalbased thermal
powergenerationisexpectedtoplayadominantroleinthefutureaswell,sincecoalreservesinIndiaare
expectedtolastformorethan100years.TheashcontentofcoalusedbythermalpowerplantsinIndia
variesbetween25and45%.However,coalwithanashcontentofaround40%ispredominantlyusedin
India for thermal power generation. As a consequence, a huge amount of fly ash (FA) is generated in
thermal power plants, causing several disposalrelated problems. In spite of initiatives taken by the
government, several nongovernmental organizations and research and development organizations, the
totalutilizationofFAisonlyabout50%.Indiaproduces130milliontonneofFAannuallywhichisexpected
toreach175milliontonneby2012.DisposalofFAisagrowingproblemasonly15%ofFAiscurrently
used for high value addition applications like concrete and building blocks, the remainder being used for
landfilling.Globally,lessthan25%ofthetotalannualFAproducedintheworldisutilized.IntheUSAand
China,hugequantitiesofFAareproduced(comparabletothatinIndia)anditsreportedutilizationlevels
were about 32% and 40%, respectively, during 1995. FA has been successfully used as a mineral
admixture component of Portland pozzolan blended cement for nearly 60 years. There is effective
utilization of FA in making cement concretes as it extends technical advantages as well as controls the
environmentalpollution.
ViewOnline
(http://nbmcw.com/Online_Edition/NBMCW/March
Groundgranulatedblastfurnaceslag(GGBS)isabyproductfromtheblastfurnacesusedtomakeiron.
2016/index.htm)
GGBS is a glassy, granular, non metallic material consisting essentially of silicates and aluminates of
DownloadLatestIssue
calcium and other bases. Slag when ground to less than 45 micron from coarser, popcorn like friable
(http://nbmcw.com/index.php?
structure, will have a specific surface of about 400 to 600 m2/kg (Blaine). GGBS has almost the same

(/component/banners/click/200.html)

option=com_ars&view=download&id=197)
particle size as cement. GGBS, often blended with Portland cement as low cost filler, enhances concrete
workability,density,durabilityandresistancetoalkalisilicareaction.
PreviousIssues
(http://nbmcw.com/index.php?
Alternative but promising gainful utility of FA and GGBS in construction industry that has emerged in
option=com_content&view=article&id=34157:nbmcw
recent years is in the form of Geopolymer cement concretes (GPCCs), which by appropriate process
archives
technologyutilizeallclassesandgradesofFAandGGBSthereforethereisagreatpotentialforreducing
2016&catid=9:nbmcwissue
stockpilesofthesewastematerials.
(/component/banners/click/208.html)
archive&Itemid=216)
ImportanceofGeopolymerCementConcretes
Producing one tonne of cement requires about 2 tonnes of raw materials (shale and limestone) and
releases 0.87 tonne (H 1 tonne) of CO2, about 3 kg of Nitrogen Oxide (NOx), an air contaminant that
contributes to ground level smog and 0.4 kg of PM10 (particulate matter of size 10 m), an air borne
particulatematterthatisharmfultotherespiratorytractwheninhaled.TheglobalreleaseofCO2fromall
sourcesisestimatedat23billiontonnesayearandthePortlandcementproductionaccountsforabout7%
of total CO2 emissions. The cement industry has been making significant progress in reducing CO2
emissions through improvements in process technology and enhancements in process efficiency, but
furtherimprovementsarelimitedbecauseCO2productionisinherenttothebasicprocessofcalcinationsof
limestone. Mining of limestone has impact on landuse patterns, local water regimes and ambient air
qualityandthusremainsasoneoftheprincipalreasonsforthehighenvironmentalimpactoftheindustry.
Dustemissionsduringcementmanufacturinghavelongbeenacceptedasoneofthemainissuesfacing
theindustry.Theindustryhandlesmillionsoftonnesofdrymaterial.Evenif0.1percentofthisislostto

the atmosphere, it can cause havoc environmentally. Fugitive emissions are therefore a huge problem,
compounded by the fact that there is neither an economic incentive nor regulatory pressure to prevent
emissions.
Thecementindustrydoesnotfitthecontemporarypictureofasustainableindustrybecauseitusesraw
materials and energy that are nonrenewable extracts its raw materials by mining and manufactures a
product that cannot be recycled. Through waste management, by utilizing the waste byproducts from
thermalpowerplants,fertiliserunitsandsteelfactories,energyusedintheproductioncanbeconsiderably
reduced.Thiscutsenergybills,rawmaterialcostsaswellasgreenhousegasemissions.Intheprocess,it
canturnabundantlyavailablewastes,suchasflyashandslagintovaluableproducts,suchasgeopolymer
concretes.

ViewOnline
CurrentlyOnline
(http://nbmcw.com/Online_Edition/MGS/March
We have 241 guests and
Geopolymercementconcretes(GPCC)areInorganicpolymercomposites,whichareprospectiveconcretes
2016/index.htm)
nomembersonline
with the potential to form a substantial element of an environmentally sustainable construction by
DownloadLatestIssue
replacing/supplementing
the
conventional
concretes.
GPCC
have
high
strength,
with
good
resistance
to
(http://nbmcw.com/index.php?
chloride penetration, acid attack, etc. These are commonly formed by alkali activation of industrial
option=com_ars&view=download&id=199)
aluminosilicatewastematerialssuchasFAandGGBS,andhaveaverysmallGreenhousefootprintwhen
PreviousIssues
comparedtotraditionalconcretes.
(http://nbmcw.com/index.php?
(http://www.alexa.com/data/details/main
BasicsofGeopolymers
option=com_content&view=article&id=34202:mgs
url=http://nbmcw.com)
ThetermgeopolymerwasfirstintroducedbyDavidovitsin1978todescribeafamilyofmineralbinders
architecturearchives
(http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/nbmcw.co
2016&catid=12:mgsissue with chemical composition similar to zeolites but with an amorphous microstructure. Unlike ordinary
Portland/pozzolanic cements, geopolymers do not form calcium silicatehydrates (CSHs) for matrix
archive&Itemid=217)
formation and strength, but utilise the polycondensation of silica and alumina precursors to attain
structuralstrength.Twomainconstituentsofgeopolymersare:sourcematerialsandalkalineliquids.The
source materials on aluminosilicate should be rich in silicon (Si) and aluminium (Al). They could be by
product materials such as fly ash, silica fume, slag, ricehusk ash, red mud, etc. Geopolymers are also
unique in comparison to other aluminosilicate materials (e.g. aluminosilicate gels, glasses, and zeolites).
Theconcentrationofsolidsingeopolymerisationishigherthaninaluminosilicategelorzeolitesynthesis.
CompositionofGeopolymerCementConcreteMixes
FollowingmaterialsaregenerallyusedtoproduceGPCCs:
i.Flyash,
ii.GGBS,
iii.Fineaggregatesand
ViewOnline
iv.Coarseaggregates
(http://nbmcw.com/Online_Edition/Pullout/January
v.Catalyticliquidsystem(CLS):Itisanalkalineactivatorsolution(AAS)forGPCC.Itisacombinationof
2016/index.htm)
solutions of alkali silicates and hydroxides, besides distilled water. The role of AAS is to activate the
DownloadLatestIssue
geopolymericsourcematerials(containingSiandAl)suchasflyashandGGBS.
(http://nbmcw.com/index.php?
option=com_ars&view=download&id=193)
FormulatingtheGPCCMixes
PreviousIssues
Unlike conventional cement concretes, GPCCs are a new class of materials and hence, conventional mix
(http://nbmcw.com/index.php?
design approaches are applicable. The formulation of the GPCC mixtures requires systematic numerous
option=com_content&view=article&id=32949:lifting
investigationsonthematerialsavailable.
andspecialisedtransport
PreparationofGPCCMixes
archives
2014&catid=92:liftingand ThemixingofingredientsofGPCCscanbecarriedoutinmixersusedforconventionalcementconcretes
suchaspanmixer,drummixer,etc
specialised
transport&Itemid=234)

MechanicalProperties
CompressiveStrength: With proper formulation of mix ingredients, 24 hour compressive strengths of
25 to 35 MPa can be easily achieved without any need for any special curing. Such mixes can be
consideredasselfcuring.However,GPCCmixeswith28daystrengthsuptoabout6070MPahavebeen
developedatSERC.
ModulusofElasticityTheYoungsmodulusormodulusofelasticity(ME),EcofGPCCistakenastangent
modulusmeasuredatthestresslevelequalto40percentoftheaveragecompressivestrengthofconcrete
cylinders. The MEs of GPCCs are marginally lower than that of conventional cement concretes (CCs), at
similarstrengthlevels.
Stress Strain Curves The stressstrain relationship depends upon the ingredients of GPCCs and the
curingperiod.

ViewOnline
RateofDevelopmentofStrengthThisisgenerallyfasterinGPCCs,ascomparedtoCCs.
DownloadLatestIssue
ReinforcedGPCCBeams
(http://nbmcw.com/index.php?
Load carrying capacity of GPCC beams, are up to about 20% more of CC beams at similar concrete
option=com_ars&view=download&id=198)
strengthlevels.Crackingofconcreteoccurswheneverthetensilestrengthoftheconcreteisexceeded.The
PreviousIssues
crackinginreinforcedconcreteisattributabletovariouscausessuchasflexuraltensilestresses,diagonal
(http://nbmcw.com/index.php?
tension,lateraltensilestrains,etc.Thecrackingmomentincreasesasthecompressivestrengthincreases
option=com_content&view=article&id=6455:iitw
inbothGPCCandCCbeams.
issue
archive&catid=84:iitw&Itemid=218)
Reinforcedconcretestructuresaregenerallyanalyzedbytheconventionalelastictheory(Clause22.1ofIS
456:2000)whichisequivalenttoassumingalinearmomentcurvaturerelationshipforflexuralmembers.
However, in actual behaviour of beams, nonlinear moment curvature relationship is considered. The
momentcurvature relation can be idealized to consist of three straight lines with different slopes. The
slopesoftheselinechangesasthebehaviourofthebeamischangedduetoincreasingload.Thuseach
straightlineindicatesdifferentphasesofbeamhistory.ThemomentcurvaturerelationsofGPCCsandCCs
areessentiallysimilar.

Theserviceloadisgenerallyconsideredastheloadcorrespondingtoadeflectionofspan/350ormaximum
crackwidthof0.2mm,whicheverisless.ThedeflectionsatserviceloadsfortheGPCCandCCbeamsare
foundtobealmostsame.Thus,atserviceloads,thebehaviouroftheGPCCandCCbeamsaresimilar.
Ductility factor of the beams is considered as the ratio of deflection at ultimate moment (U) to the
deflectionatyieldmoment(Y).Theductilityfactordecreasesasthetensilereinforcementincreased.The
ductilityfactorofGPCCbeamscouldbemarginallylessthanCCbeamsindicatinghigherstiffnessofGPCC
beams.ThecrackpatternsobservedforGPCCbeamsaresimilartotheCCbeams.
ReinforcedGPCCColumns
The concrete compressive strength and longitudinal reinforcement ratio influence the load capacity of
columns. The load carrying capacity increases with the increase in concrete compressive strength and
longitudinalreinforcementratio.CrackpatternsandfailuremodesofGPCCcolumnsaresimilartothoseof
CCcolumns.
BondStrengthofGPCCwithRebars
ThebondstrengthofGPCCswithrebarsarehighercomparedtoCC.Thusdevelopmentallengthofsteel
barsinreinforcedGPCCcanbekeptsame,asinthecaseofreinforcedCC.ThebondstrengthsofGPCCand
PPCCaresignificantlymoreandconservativethanthedesignbondstressrecommendedinIS:4562000.
TheGPCCspossesssatisfactorybondwithembeddedsteelbarssothattheconventionaldesignprocessof
reinforcedstructuralcomponentscanbeappliedconservativelytoGPCCsalso.
DurabilityAspectsofGPCCS
The GPCC specimens have chloride permeability rating of low to very low as per ASTM 1202C. GPCCs
offergeneralybetterprotectiontoembeddedsteelfromcorrosionascomparedtoCC.TheGPCCarefound
topossessveryhighacidresistancewhentestedunderexposureto2%and10%sulphuricacids.
ConcludingRemarksonGPCCS
FromthetestdatageneratedatSERC,itcanbeconcludedthatGPCCsaregoodcandidatesmaterialsof
constructions from both strength and durability considerations. Geopolymer concrete shows significant
potentialtobeamaterialforthefuturebecauseitisnotonlyenvironmentallyfriendlybutalsopossesses
excellentmechanicalproperties.Practicalrecommendationsonuseofgeopolymerconcretetechnologyin
practicalapplicationssuchasprecastconcreteproductsandwasteencapsulationneedtobedevelopedin
Indiancontext.
Because of lower internal energy (almost 20% to 30 % less) and lower CO2 emission contents of
ingredientsofgeopolymerbasedcompositescomparedtothoseofconventionalPortlandcementconcretes,
the new composites can be considered to be more ecofriendly and hence their utility in practical
applicationsneedstobedevelopedandencouraged.
NBMCWDecember2009

GoogleAppsForWork
LearnAboutGoogle'sPowerfulOnlineOfficeTools.30DaysFree!

<Prev(/articles/concrete/16159steelreinforcementingfrpstrengthenedconcretecylinders.html)
Next>(/articles/concrete/5530effectofsulphateattackonselfcompactingconcrete.html)

TERMS&CONDITIONS(/termsconditions.html) PRIVACYPOLICY(/privacypolicy.html)
CANCELLATION/REFUNDPOLICY(/cancellationrefundpolicy.html) DISCLAIMER(/disclaimer.html)

Spruceupyourhome
withNerolacPaints.ExploreourWiderangeofproducts.KnowMore!
2016NBMMediaPvt.Ltd.

BacktoTop