Alkali-Activated Concrete Based on Natural Volcanic Pozzolan: Chemical Resistance to Sulfate Attack
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32, Issue 5
Abstract
In this article, a comparative analysis of the sulfate resistance ( and ) of an alkali-activated binary concrete (AABC) (70% natural volcanic pozzolan and 30% granulated blast-furnace slag) and a concrete based on ordinary portland cement (OPC) is performed. The AABC and OPC concrete were cured for 28 days prior to their immersion in solutions of sulfates (5% by weight) for a period of up to 730 days. Dimensional changes, compressive strength, absorption, and porosity properties were evaluated at different test ages. Additionally, the level of concrete deterioration was monitored by visual inspection, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction (DRX). The results show that the AABC presents resistance to sulfate attack greater than that of OPC. The percentage of expansion to 730-day exposure for AABC was 0.0985% in with a compressive strength index of ; in , these values were 0.1471% and , respectively. AABC complies with the expansion limit specified by ASTM C1012 for the most severe class of exposure (S3). This finding allows for the classification of the AABC as a high--resistant concrete.
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Data Availability Statement
All data generated or used during the study appear in the submitted article. Additional information is available from the corresponding author by request.
Acknowledgments
The authors, members of the Composites Materials Group (CENM) of the Universidad del Valle (Cali-Colombia), thank the Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (Colciencias) for the support received during the project Construcción de prototipo a escala de vivienda rural utilizando materiales innovadores de baja huella de carbono (Prototype Construction of Rural Housing at Scale Using Innovative Materials with Low Carbon Footprint), Contract 096-2016, under which this research was conducted.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32 • Issue 5 • May 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 3, 2019
Accepted: Oct 18, 2019
Published online: Mar 4, 2020
Published in print: May 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Aug 4, 2020
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