The effect of curing temperature and geometry on the compressive strength of geopolymer mortar

Abstract

This study focuses on the mechanical behavior of geopolymer mortar made from local metakaolin. Geopolymer mortar is an alternative eco-friendly sustainable material that can be used in the construction industry as a replacement for Ordinary Portland Cement. Numerous studies have been conducted on geopolymer mortar, as well as geopolymer concrete to measure its potential in construction material. Geopolymer is made by mixing base materials high in alumina and silica with an alkaline solution, the resulting reaction would form the binding matrix of the product. Several materials can be used in the production of geopolymer mortar, the most common being metakaolin, ground-granulated-blast furnace slag (GGBFS), and/or Fly ash. The purpose of this research is to produce geopolymer mortar samples from local metakaolin and assess its compressive strength at several stages after curing, under different curing conditions. Two shapes are taken into consideration for comparison, cylindrical and cubical. Results indicate that all specimens have a lower compressive strength when exposed to heat, whether cylindrical or cubical. The cubic samples showed much higher strength in general.