Experimental investigation of engineered geopolymer composite for structural strengthening against blast loads

The recent increase in blast/bombing incidents all over the world has pushed the development of effective strengthening approaches to enhance the blast resistance of existing civil infrastructures.Engineered geopolymer composite(EGC)is a promising material featured by eco-friendly,fast-setting and strain-hardening characteristics for emergent strengthening and construction.However,the fiber optimization for preparing EGC and its protective effect on structural elements under blast scenarios are uncertain.In this study,laboratory tests were firstly conducted to evaluate the effects of fiber types on the properties of EGC in terms of workability,dry shrinkage,and mechanical properties in compression,tension and flexure.The experimental results showed that EGC containing PE fiber exhibited suitable workability,acceptable dry shrinkage and superior mechanical properties compared with other types of fibers.After that,a series of field tests were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of EGC retrofitting layer on the enhancement of blast performance of typical elements.The tests include autoclaved aerated concrete(AAC)masonry walls subjected to vented gas explosion,reinforced AAC panels subjected to TNT explosion and plain concrete slabs subjected to contact explosion.It was found that EGC could effectively enhance the blast resistance of structural elements in different scenarios.For AAC masonry walls and panels,with the existence of EGC,the integrity of specimens could be maintained,and their deflections and damage were significantly reduced.For plain concrete slabs,the EGC overlay could reduce the diameter and depth of the crater and spallation of specimens.

Elevated Temperature Properties of Bamboo Shaving Reinforced Geopolymer Composites

Geopolymer is a new alternative cement binder to produce concrete.In the present study,a novel geopolymer composites containing bamboo shaving(0–2 wt.%)were fabricated and exposed to the temperatures of 200℃,400℃,600℃and 800℃.Physical properties,micro-structure,and mechanical strengths of the geopolymer composites were evaluated before and after heating in order to understand their thermal properties,which are essential for the use as building materials.As the temperature rises,the drying shrinkage and apparent porosity of the composites increase,while the compressive and bending strengths decrease.At the temperature range of 200℃–800℃,the residual compressive strength rates of the geopolymer composite containning 2 wt.%bamboo shaving were respective 73.8%,61.47%,56.16%,and 29.56%,meanwhile,the residual flexural strength rates were respective 46.69%,8.68%,2.52%,and 2.33%.Correspondingly,the residual compressive strength rates of pure geopolymer were respective 72.81%,61.99%,54.55%,and 14.64%;the residual flexural strength rates were 48.87%,5.69%,3.22%,and 2.47%,respectively.Scanning electron microscope(SEM),optical microscope,and X-ray diffractometry(XRD)were applied to find the microscopic changes.The strength loss in the geopolymer composites was mainly because of the thermal degradation of bamboo shaving and shrinkage of geopolymer matrix.Bamboo shaving has great potential as reinforcer in developing low-cost geopolymer composites and may be used for applications up to 400℃.

Effect of Curing Age on Tensile Properties of Fly Ash Based Engineered Geopolymer Composites(FA-EGC)by Uniaxial Tensile Test and Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Method

Tensile properties of fly ash based engineered geopolymer composites(FA-EGC)at different curing ages were studied by uniaxial tensile test and ultrasonic pulse velocity(UPV)methods,which included uniaxial tensile properties,the correlation between ultrasonic pulse velocity and tensile properties,and characteristic parameters of microcracks.The experimental results show that obvious strain hardening behavior can be found in FA-EGC at different curing ages.With the increase of curing age,the tensile strength increases,the tensile strain decreases and the toughness becomes worse.The UPV of FA-EGC increases with curing age,and a strong correlation can be found between tensile strength and UPV.With the increase of curing age,the average crack width of FA-EGC decreases and the total number of cracks increases.This is because the strength of geopolymer increases fast at early age,thus the later strength development of FA-EGC tend to be stable.At the same time,the bond strength between fiber and matrix,and the friction of fiber/matrix interface continue to increase with curing age,thus the bridging effect of fiber is gradually strengthened.In conclusion,the increase of curing age is beneficial to the development of tensile properties of FA-EGC.

Optimal slag content for geopolymer composites under freeze-thaw cycles with different freezing temperatures

Improving the freeze-thaw resistance of geopolymers is of great significance to ensure their durability in cold regions. This study presents an experimental investigation of optimal slag content for geopolymer composites under freeze-thaw cycles with different freezing temperatures. Firstly, five kinds of geopolymer composites with 10.0%, 20.0%, 30.0%, 40.0%,and 50.0% slag contents and 1.0% fiber content were prepared. Freeze-thaw cycle tests at-1.0 ℃,-20.0 ℃, and-40.0 ℃ were carried out for these geopolymer composites and their physical and mechanical properties after the freeze-thaw cycle were tested. The results show that the porosity of the geopolymer composites decreases as the slag content increases. Their mass loss ratio and strength loss ratio increase gradually as the freezing temperature decreases. The mass loss ratio and strength loss ratio of geopolymer composites after freeze-thaw cycles all decrease as the slag content increases. Considering the physical and mechanical properties of geopolymers after freeze-thaw cycles, the optimal slag contents are 40.0% and 50.0%.

Mechanical properties of cotton fabric reinforced geopolymer composites at 200-1000℃

Geopolymer composites containing woven cotton fabric(0-8.3 wt%)were fabricated using the hand lay-up technique,and were exposed to elevated temperatures of 200℃,400℃,600℃,800℃and 1000℃.With an increase in temperature,the geopolymer composites exhibited a reduction in compressive strength,flexural strength and fracture toughness.When heated above 600℃,the composites exhibited a significant reduction in mechanical properties.They also exhibited brittle behavior due to severe degradation of cotton fibres and the creation of additional porosity in the composites.Microstructural images verified the existence of voids and small channels in the composites due to fibre degradation.

Characterisation of mechanical and thermal properties in flax fabric reinforced geopolymer composites

This paper presents the mechanical and thermal properties of flax fabric reinforced fly ash based geopolymer composites.Geopolymer composites reinforced with 2.4,3.0 and 4.1 wt%woven flax fabric in various layers were fabricated using a hand lay-up technique and tested for mechanical properties such as flexural strength,flexural modulus,compressive strength,hardness,and fracture toughness.All mechanical properties were improved by increasing the flax fibre contents,and showed superior mechanical properties over a pure geopolymer matrix.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)studies were carried out to evaluate the composition and fracture surfaces of geopolymer and geopolymer/flax composites.The thermal behaviour of composites was studied by thermogravimetric analysis(TGA)and the results showed significant degradation of flax fibres at 300℃.