Comparison of the Thermal Characteristics of Portland Cement and Geopolymer Cement Concrete Mixes
Publication: Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 23, Issue 2
Abstract
Concrete is widely used in buildings as a structural and finish material, and mix designs for these applications are well established. The thermal properties of concrete are also embedded in a number of building envelope design strategies, but mix designs to optimize for these performance characteristics are not generally considered. In this study, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and compressive strength of concrete mixes were investigated. It was determined that a broad range of thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity values can be obtained through the adjustment of mix paste percentages. Portland cement (PC) and geopolymer cement concrete (GCC) mixes were compared for this application, with the range of thermal variability found to be greater with concretes that use the geopolymer binder.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank the following organizations from the University of North Carolina (UNC), Charlotte, for their support: the Energy Production & Infrastructure Center, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the School of Architecture, and the Materials Characterization Lab (directed by Dr. Katherine Wheeler). From industry, the authors thank the PCI Foundation.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 23 • Issue 2 • June 2017
Copyright
© 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 6, 2015
Accepted: Oct 20, 2016
Published online: Jan 19, 2017
Published in print: Jun 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Jun 19, 2017
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