International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics

Volume 119 No. 12 2018, 77-84

ISSN: 1314-3395 (on-line version)
url: http://www.ijpam.eu
Special Issue
Experimental Studies on Geopolymer Concrete under heat curing and
ijpam.eu

ambient curing conditions.

Navin Oommen Abraham1 ,
, Karunya Institute of Technology, Coimbatore –641114, India.
oommennavin8@gmail.com
Dr. P. D. Arumairaj2 ,
Karunya Institute of Technology, Coimbatore –641114, India.
arumairaj@karunya.edu
Ms. Nancy Debora3,
Karunya Institute of Technology, Coimbatore –641114, India.
nancydebora@karunya.edu

ABSTRACT
Portland cement concrete industry has blown up universally in recent years.The demand for concrete as a construction material
has enlarged due to enhancement of infrastructure. However , production of Portland cement concrete generates problems such as
carbon di oxide emission, global warming. Due to the significant benefit of carbon footprint reduction with the use of cement-less
geopolymer concrete, researchers have shifted their focus towards the study of the behaviour of geopolymer concrete on micro-
and macro-scales. As part of the research effort to develop cementless alkali-activated concrete, using fly ash as been the most
eco-friendly and cheaper option for replacing cement but, in order to do so the concrete has to be cured/treated at elevated
temperatures. This not only makes manufacturing geopolymer concrete inconvenient but also contradicts its own advantages.
Most of the previous works on fly ash-based geopolymers were on the properties of concrete hardened by heat curing, which as
mentioned before is considered as a limitation for in-situ applications. This experimental study is aimed to achieve fly ash-based
geopolymer concrete suitable for curing without elevated heat .The most important application of concrete in building
construction is nonetheless reinforced concrete structural members. Therefore, this experimental study aims to propose an
optimum mix or combination of alternate materials which can not only reduce the usage and production of cement but also be
used in modern day construction.. Concrete cubes of size 150 x 150 x 150 mm were prepared and cured under heat curing for 24
hours and ambient curing. The compressive strength was found out on the 3 rd, 7th,14thand 28th day. The results are compared. The
optimum mix is Fly ash: Fine aggregate:Coarse aggregate (1:1.5:3.3) with a solution (NaoH& Na2SiO3 combined together) to fly
ash ratio of 0.40. High and early strength was obtained in the Geopolymer concrete mix

KEYWORDS:Geopolymer Concrete, Fly Ash, Ambient Curing

INTRODUCTION
Geopolymers are inorganic polymeric binding
materials, developed by Joseph Davidovits
in1970.Geopolymer is a type of amorphous
alumino silicate cementations material that shows Fig.1The reaction and mechanical formation of
the ideal properties of rock forming minerals. Geopolymer Concrete.
Davidovits proposed that an alkaline liquid

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The main factors distressing geopolymerization polymerization and z is 1, 2,3 or higher, as

are type and nature of raw materials, alkaline reported in previous research.Given below is the
activators and curing conditions. Longer curing schematic formation formation of
time improves the polymerisation processresulting geopolymermateria in Fig2.
in high compressive strength. Geopolymer
concrete needs heat to gain strength.

CONSTITUENTS OF FLY ASH AND

CHEMICAL REACTION:

The fly ash used was procured from a Thermal

Power Station, situated in Mettur,. This class F Fig.2 The Schematic rformation of Geopolymer
Fly ash. concrete

Table.1 Chemical composition of Fly Ash MATERIALS USED

The fine aggregates were obtained from

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. The coarse
aggregates were procured from an approved
Crusher Unit in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) is readily
availableand was purchased from the local market
in pellet form. 10 Molar solution was used. Since
the molecular weight of Sodium Hydroxide is 40,
and in order to prepare 10 molar solution 10 x 40=

The SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) 400 gms of Sodium Hydroxide was dissolved in

analysis of the fly ash was done and its 1000 ml of water. Sodium Silicate (Na2SiO3) is

corresponding image is presented below. The available in the market. The sodium silicate

reaction of fly ash with an aqueous solution solution (A53) with a ratio of SiO2 to Na2O is

containing Sodium Hydroxide and Sodium approximately 2 was used. That is 29.4% SiO2,

Silicate in their mass ratio, results in a material 14.7 % Na2O and 55.9 % of water

with three dimensional polymeric chain and ring METHODOLOGY

structure consisting of Si-O-Al-O bonds, as
The methodology adopted for the current
follows:
experimental investigation is as follows
Mn [-(SiO2) z–AlO2] n . wH2O
 Preparation of alkaline activator solution.
M denotess a monovalentcation namely,  The ratio of sodium hydroxide solution
potassium or Sodium, ‘–‘ shows the presence of a tothe sodium silicate solution is 2.5.
bond, n is the degree of polycondensation or

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 GPC mix of the four trial mixes are Molar)

prepared and casted into 150x150x150 size
cubes.All the cubes undergo curing.
 The specimen’s are demoulded after the
initial rest period, heated at 60°c for 24 Table.3 TM I – (1:1.4:3.20)

hrs. Materials Kg/m

 The specimen’s are demoulded after the Fly ash (class F) 400

initial rest period, cured at ambient Fine Sand 560

temperatures. Coarse aggregate (20 mm in size) 1280

 Compression tests were carried out on ,7th Sodium silicate 100

,14th and 28thday. Sodium Hydroxide solution (10 40

Molar)
MIX PROPORTIONS

The previous studies on Geopolymer concrete Table.4 TM I – (1:1.5:3.3)

have been carried out profusely using a mix
Materials Kg/m
proportion of fly ash: Fine Aggregate: Coarse
Fly ash (class F) 400
Aggregate roughly somewhere between 1:1.3:3
Fine Sand 600
and 1:1.5:3.5 with a solution (NaOH& Na2SiO3
Coarse aggregate (20 mm in size) 1320
combined together). Mr. M.I. Abdul Aleem and
Sodium silicate 100
Dr. P.D. Arumairaj proposed four trial mixes in
Sodium Hydroxide solution (10 40
their studies carried out in 2012 . I have found Molar)
their trial mixes most suitable for performing my
studies on comparing the properties of fly ash
Table.5 TM I – (1:1.6:3.40)
concrete under heat curing and ambient curing.
The mix ratios are: TM I - : 1:1.3 : 3.10; TM II - : Materials Kg/m
1:1.4 : 3.20; TM III- : 1:1.5 : 3.30; TM IV- : 1:1.6 Fly ash (class F) 400

Fine Sand 640

: 3.40. The solution to fly ash ration was kept
Coarse aggregate (20 mm in size) 1360
same as 0.35. The quantities for 1 cubic metre are
Sodium silicate 100
presented in the tables below.
Sodium Hydroxide solution (10 40
Table.2 TM I – (1:1.3:3.10) Molar)

Materials Kg/m
Fly ash (class F) 400
PREPARATION OF ALKALINE SOLUTION
Fine Sand 520
From previous research on geopolymer concrete it
Coarse aggregate (20 mm in size) 1240
has been recommended that the sodium silicate
Sodium silicate 100
solution and the sodium hydroxide solution were
Sodium Hydroxide solution (10 40
prepared one day prior to use in preparing the

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

geopolymer concrete. This is carried out in this Fig.3 GPC undergoing heat curing in a muffle
study. The ratio of sodium silicate solution to furnace.
sodium hydroxide solution is fixed at 2.5%.
Inorder to continue research in ambient
MIXING OF GEOPOLYMER CONCRETE: conditions, we must be able to compare them to
the same mixes cured under heat. After casting
The fly ash, fine aggregates and coarse aggregates
the specimens, they were kept in rest period in
are mixed manually in a container to which the
room temperature for 2 days. The term ‘Rest
alkaline solutionis added to prepare the
Period’ was coined to indicate the time taken from
geopolymer concrete. The geopolymer concrete is
the completion of casting of test specimen to the
placed in 150 mm cube moulds in three layers and
start of curing.
each layer iss compacted by giving 25 blows with
a 25mm tamping rod. Unlike conventional cement
concrete The Geopolymer concrete is dark in
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH TEST
colour with a rather shiny appearance and also a
workable mix. The specimens were tested in a compressive
testing machine having in accordance with the
CURING
Bureau of Indian Standard test procedures. The
The previous studies on Geopolymer concrete compression test results are tabulated below.
revealed that geopolymer concrete did not attain
any strength by water curing. Curing of
geopolymer concrete was done as mentioned Table.6 GPC-Heat curing Compressive

earlier by heat curing and ambient curing unlike strength (N/mm2) after 7 days

the conventional curing of OPC concrete, Trial Trial Trial Trial

immersion curing is not carried out here. Heat Mix 1 Mix 2 Mix 3 Mix 4
curing is carried out by heating the specimen in a
31.3 43.2 47.96 42.7
muffle furnace at 60°c for 24 hours. Ambient
curing is nothing bucuring caused at room 36 41.7 48.4 38.1
temperature under the sun.
34.5 42.1 46.8 41.3

Table.7GPC-Heat curing Compressive strength

(N/mm2) after 14 days

Trial Trial Trial Trial

Mix 1 Mix 2 Mix 3 Mix 4

35.3 45.1 48.86 44.7

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International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Special Issue

37.89 46.7 51.4 42.71

38.3 44.1 49.8 45.3

Table.8 GPC-Heat curing Compressive Table.11 GPC-Ambient curing Compressive

strength (N/mm2) after 28days strength (N/mm2) after 28 days

Trial Trial Trial Trial Trial Trial Trial Trial

Mix 1 Mix 2 Mix 3 Mix 4 Mix 1 Mix 2 Mix 3 Mix 4

38.5 47.25 50.4 46.48 6.75 7.95 11.43 10.35

39.4 49.11 54.58 48.81 7.94 8.58 12.3 11.91

41.5 46.35 53.12 47.27 7.26 8.25 12.86 11.34

Table.9 GPC-Ambient curing Compressive

strength (N/mm2) after 7 days
GPC Compressive
strength (N/mm2) at 7
Trial Trial Trial Trial
days
Mix 1 Mix 2 Mix 3 Mix 4
60
2.47 3.21 5.02 3.76
40
20
3.13 3.52 6.63 4.7 4
0
2.97 3.84 5.98 3.69 1 2 3 4

Fig.4 Compressive strength of GPC under heat

Table.10 GPC-Ambient curing Compressive Curing(Blue) and ambient curing( red) at 7
strength (N/mm2) after 14 day days

Trial Trial Trial Trial

Mix 1 Mix 2 Mix 3 Mix 4
GPC Compressive
strength (N/mm2) at 14
5.14 6.15 9.87 8.95
days
6.27 7.14 10.4 10.41
60
5.94 6.95 11.07 9.94 40
20
0
1 2 3 4

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Fig.5 Compressive strength of GPC under heat As for the GPC under ambient curing conditions,
Curing(Blue) and ambient curing( red) at 14 it showed a very slow setting rate. It not only
days lacks initial strength but is also relatively weaker
than the heat cured concrete. This is because of
the next to nil hydration process in the GPC. As
there is no considerable heat generated by the
GPC Compressive
GPC it doesn’t provide sufficient bonding
strength (N/mm2) at 28
between the aggregates an the alkaline solution.
days
This can be sorted out by increasing the Molar

60 strength of the solution, or using GGBS, another

geopolymer along with flyash as the binding
40
material. OPC can also be used as a partial
20
replacement/addition to the GPC.
0
1 2 3 4 This will not only increase the hydration process
but will also have positive effects in terms of
Fig.6 Compressive strength of GPC under heat setting time.
Curing(Blue) and ambient curing( red) at 28
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1. Davidovits J (1984) Pyramids of Egypt made of
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS man-made Stone, Myth or fact. Symp.On
Archaeometry.Smithsonian Institution,
The GPC under Heat Curing shows high
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performance in terms of strength. The GPCas
2. Davidovits J (2008) Geopolymer chemistry and
mentioned earlier is a good workable mix. High
applications. InstitutGéopolymère, Saint-Quentin,
early strength was observed in the GPC mix. It
France.
was noted that as the percentage of fine aggregates
3. Davidovits J (2010) What Is a Geopolymer?
and coarse aggregates is increased the
Introduction.InstitutGéopolymère, Saint-Quentin,
compressive strength gradually increases until it
France. Accessed on January 29 at
obtains a drop in compressive strength past the
http://www.geopolymer.org/science/introduction.
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due to the high bonding between the aggregates
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and alkaline solution. The compressive strength
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gradually reduced beyond the optimum mix. This
5. Van Chanh Bui, Dang Trung and Dang Van
has to be due to the increase in volume of voids
Tuan (2008) Recent research geopolymer
between the aggregates. The optimum mix
concrete- Nguyen during the 3rdACF Int.Conf.-
obtained is of the ratio of Fly ash: Fine aggregate:
ACF/VCA.
Coarse aggregate are 1:1.5:3.3(TM-III)

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6. Wallah SE and Rangan BV (2006) Low

calcium flyash based geopolymer concrete–Long
term
properties. Res. Report-GC2, Curtin
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