Durability characteristics of geopolymer concrete-Progress and perspectives

Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) based concrete does not meet the requirement of green infrastructure development because the production process of OPC liberates enormous carbon dioxide gas which has a hazardous effect on the environment. Geopolymer concrete (GPC) on the other hand is potentially acceptable as they overcome such issues. Geopolymer concrete (GPC or Geocrete) though have been considered an emerging sustainable material and exhibits superior fresh and hardened properties, still it is not yet globally accepted as a construction material due to the lack of credible information about its long-term characteristics. To vanquish such weakness several studies have been put forth so far on a broad range of durability characteristics. Thus, the durability characteristics progress study of GPC conducted so far almost over the last three decades is summarized here. A set of twelve durability characteristics and twenty factors have been identified. Through a mapping between these factors and the characteristics, primary and secondary influencing factors for various durability characteristics have been identified. The production process of GPC is also provided. A thorough study on limitations in global acceptance along with the scope of further research in GPC is illustrated too. The elaborative discussion presented here about the durability characteristics of GPC can bring confidence among researchers to work on various aspects of it and can enhance its acceptability among implementers around the globe.