Sustainability and durability of cracked concrete with geopolymer binder

Abstract

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) set sustainable construction as one of the major goals when launching the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Sustainable construction improves biodiversity, minimizes pollution, protects natural resources, and makes the environment better. Within this context, it can be established by using eco-friendly materials such as geopolymers. Several studies showed that geopolymers have better properties when compared to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and traditional commercial repair materials. This study investigates the ability of geopolymer paste to withstand several environments when used as a binder to repair fissured concrete. Three major types of solutions were used in this study: water, 20% NaCl solution, and 1% sulfuric acid solution. For better consistency, French Metakaolin-based geopolymer paste and Lebanese Metakaolin-based geopolymer paste were compared since they have different chemical characteristics. The results showed that for all types of samples that endured different environmental conditions, the geopolymer binder almost remained intact while the OPC severely deteriorated. As such, a comprehensive approach for more sustainable concrete was developed through durability tests that inhibited good characteristics of the geopolymer binder to solve problems related to concrete fissures/cracks worldwide.