Investigation of geopolymer as a sustainable alternative binder for fiber-reinforced strain-hardening composites

This doctoral research is aimed on multiscale development and investigation of properties of fiber-reinforced strain-hardening geopolymer composite. Typically high cement content is used in counterpart Portland cement- based composites resulting in high autogenous shrinkage, heat of hydration, and cost. Geopolymer is studied as a sustainable alternative to Portland cement. In summary, the performances of the developed geopolymer composites are either comparable or superior to the counterpart Portland cement-based composites in all mechanical aspects considered in this doctoral research. At the same time, they have significantly lower environmental footprints as compared to the counterpart Portland cement-based composites.