Structural and material performance of geopolymer concrete: A review

Off late, the continuously depletion of the ozone layer and global warming issue have increased the awareness of the construction industries in using more eco-friendly construction materials. Against this background, geopolymer concrete has started to gain significant attention from the research scholars and construction practitioners, due to its advantageous in using by-product waste to replace cement and reducing greenhouse gas emission during its production. It also possesses better mechanical properties and durability compared to conventional concrete. Despite its advantageous, the use of geopolymer concrete in practical is considerably limited. This is mainly due to the lacking in the studies in terms of structural elements, design and application studies. This paper reviewed the material and structural performances of geopolymer concrete to identify the research gaps in this area for future research development. Analysis shown that geopolymer concrete can replace conventional concrete as they presented better mechanical properties, higher durability and more desirable structural performances compared with conventional counterparts. More studies are still needed for practical design standards and finally, the full scale studies on the structural elements should be established to ensure its feasibility in practical.