Field and laboratory investigation of the durability performance of geopolymer concrete

This thesis investigated the long term durability performance of geopolymer concrete exposed to atmospheric and aggressive environments. Despite many decades of research, the use of geopolymer concrete in construction industry is very limited due to insufficient knowledge on long term durability. In this study, two major factors influencing the durability of concrete, known as carbonation and chloride diffusion, were studied for different geopolymer concrete types. It was found that the use of slag in geopolymer concrete enhances the durability, compared to fly ash based geopolymer in field environment. Nevertheless, the durability of all studied geopolymer types were still lower than Portland cement concrete. Recommendations were provided to develop suitable geopolymer chemistry and mix design to enhance the durability of geopolymer concrete for industrial applications.