Trade Journals for the Concrete Industry

In this study, the development of eco-friendly geopolymer concrete (GPC) blocks in lieu of ordinary Portland cement concrete (OPCC) blocks is discussed. Based on extensive studies carried out at the Advanced Materials Laboratory of the CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre, two mix compositions, one incorporating a high volume of 75% ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and another with a high volume of 80% fly ash (FA) were designed. A large scale production of about 1,200 blocks of GPC consisting of 950 solid pavers of 100x200x90 mm, 100 solid blocks with fly ash based lightweight aggregate of 100x200x90 mm, and 150 hollow masonry blocks of 190x390x­190 mm were produced at a Chennai based masonry block manufacturing unit. This paper presents the details obtained from these studies such as compressive strength, water absorption and abrasion resistance of GPC blocks cured at room temperature. The analysis of the test results showed that the blocks produced with both GGBS and FA and FA aggregate based hollow as well as solid blocks satisfy the respective Indian standard code provisions (IS 2185 (Part I&III) and IS 15658). The studies also showed that the blocks displayed a rapidly growing rate in strength development in ambient temperature conditions and, contrary to conventional concrete, do not necessitate water curing up to 28 days. Due to their high early strength, GPC blocks can be effectively used in the precast industry, ensuring that huge production outputs are rapidly possible and that breakage during transport can also be minimized. Finally, the studies have also demonstrated the feasibility of producing geopolymer pavers and masonry blocks of different grades on a large scale.