Development of alkali-activated concrete for structures – Mechanical properties and durability

SummaryAlkali-activated concretes for structures have been developed for last 10 years, especially for the production of precast elements. These concretes were designed as self-compacting with the water to binder ratio 0.5. Later they were modified using PNS-plasticizer. In this way concretes with the water to binder ratios 0.45 and 0.40 and with convenient workability were prepared with 28-days strength up to 90 MPa. These concretes also show improved frost-resistance.Non-destructive tests for compressive strength were performed as well as and new correlation relationships were found. Finally, both fracture properties and fatigue tests were performed.All of these tests are important for a practical application of alkali-activated concretes for structures.