Evaluating the flexural strength of reinforced geopolymer concrete with corrosion using 3-point cyclic loading bending test

• Main Authors: Araneta, John Benedict L., Dumadag, Ayanna Isabelle L., Iguchi, Hiroshi L., Uy, Harold Joshua D.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2018
• Subjects: Cement; Portland cement; Reinforced concrete; Civil Engineering; Construction Engineering and Management
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/5791
• Institution: De La Salle University

The cement industry contributes about 5% of the global carbon dioxide emissions. This greenhouse gas is one of the major contributors to global warming and climate change. That is why it is crucial for the researchers to find a green alternative to ordinary portland cement because as our population continues to increase, the demand for more housing and infrastructure will have to be made in order to accommodate future demands. Another problem reinforced structures face is the corrosion of the steel reinforcements reducing the bond strength of the steel and concrete, weakening the overall strength of the structure. Geopolymer, a by product of other industries have been found to be a good alternative to OPC as this allows us to recycle their waste and use it for construction reducing the carbon footprint of the construction industry. Other studies have also showed promising results when it comes to providing the steel reinforcements a degree of protection from corrosion but the composition of geopolymers vary per country, that is why it is important to conduct local studies to see the viability of geopolymers as an alternative. Based on other geopolymer studies, it is hypothesized that the performance of geopolymer will match that of OPC for the flexural test after subjected to corrosion. The experiments conducted involved a 3-point cyclic loading test and ct-7 test to evaluate the flexural strength and its rate of corrosion on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day and the results showed that the geopolymer concrete resulted to a lower flexural strength when compared to the concrete and also the rate of corrosion of the steel bars inside the beams were higher in geopolymers when compared to OPC. This shows that the chemical composition of the geopolymers from our source cannot be a viable alternative to OPC.