An Experimental Investigation on the behaviour of Portland Cement Concrete and Geopolymer Concrete in acidic environment

International Journal of Civil Engineering

© 2015 by SSRG - IJCE Journal

Volume 2 Issue 5

Year of Publication : 2015

Authors : Kolli Venkata Manjeeth, J. Sri Kalyana Rama

10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V2I5P111

How to Cite?

Kolli Venkata Manjeeth, J. Sri Kalyana Rama, "An Experimental Investigation on the behaviour of Portland Cement Concrete and Geopolymer Concrete in acidic environment," SSRG International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 2,  no. 5, pp. 40-44, 2015. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V2I5P111

Abstract:

The degradation of concrete by acid attack has been a major problem which needs to be addressed with the utmost concern. This acid attack is primarily in the form of acid rain in low concentrations. This attack not only depends upon the type of the acid, but also on the concentration of the acid and the vulnerability of concrete. Portland cement concrete has high alkaline content and may be prone to acid attack by acidic media. The emergence of new alternative materials needs to address this issue by resisting acid attack to a large extent. Geopolymer materials are polymer minerals which are based on alumina and silica compounds and are a family of zeolites. The mechanism of corrosion of geopolymer concrete is tougher compared to that of conventional concrete. An experimental study was conducted to analyze the acid attack resistance of geopolymer concrete and Portland cement concrete. Durability of the concrete specimens were analyzed by immersing them in ph 1, ph 3 and ph 5 solutions for a period of 5 weeks and evaluating their resistance in terms of change of mass and compressive strength at regular intervals of one week each. Results indicated that Geopolymer concrete was highly resistant to sulphuric acid.

Keywords:

Geopolymer Concrete, Alumina, Silica, Sulphuric Acid.

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