<p> Recently, increased awareness of the significance of developing sustainable materials for construction has renewed the interest in exploring Alkali activated concrete (AAC), a concrete that contains no cement, but only industrial by-products such as fly ash and slag, as a low energy alternative to the conventional concrete. Although the feasibility of making alkali–activated concrete with acceptable strength and mechanical properties is well documented, the information regarding the long-term durability, including resistance to acid attack and alkali silica reaction (ASR), is far from comprehensive and there is a need to increase the understanding of these durability issues. In this dissertation, these durability issues are addressed, and improvements in this novel technology will increase acceptance in industry. This dissertation presents a comprehensive evaluation into the acid leaching resistance of Alkali-Activated Concrete (AAC) and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). The deterioration in AAC and OPC when exposed to different types of acid laden (organic and inorganic) environments are quantified by characterizing the strength degradation, mass change and visual appearances. The changes in microstructure development and chemical composition are examined and analyzed in order to determine the mechanism of deterioration. Additionally, the effect of the addition of nanoparticles on the mechanical properties and resistance to sulfuric leaching of Alkali Activated Slag concrete (AAS) are also explored in this study. </p><p> Furthermore, this dissertation summarizes the findings of an experimental evaluation of alkali silica reaction (ASR) in cement free alkali activated concrete (AAC). The susceptibility of AAC to deleterious ASR was evaluated in this study in accordance with relevant ASTM standards. This study also compares the resistance of AAC with ordinary portland cement concrete (OPC) while exposed to ASR under ASTM C 1293 and ASTM C1567 tests. In particular, the focus of this investigation is to assess the effectiveness of existing ASTM test methods in identifying the occurrence of ASR in alkali activated slag cement (AAS) concrete. In addition to that, influences of activator parameters including the effect of binder type, activator concentration, activator type and water content to the resistance of ASR in AAC were also evaluated. Finally, a scanning electron microscopic study coupled with EDX analyses was used to explain the mechanism of ASR occurrence in AAC and OPC.</p><p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10640300 |
| Date | 26 October 2018 |
| Creators | Li, Zihui |
| Publisher | Clarkson University |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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