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Polymers
Special Issues
Polymer and Geopolymer Concrete Composites for Sustainable Development
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Polymer and Geopolymer Concrete Composites for Sustainable Development

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 11486

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Klaus Holschemacher

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
HTWK Leipzig, University of Applied Sciences, Structural Concrete Institute, Leipzig, Germany
Interests: geopolymer and alkali-activated materials; textile-reinforced concrete; fiber-reinforced concrete; bond behavior of reinforcement; timber-concrete composite members
Dr. Biruk Hailu Tekle

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
HTWK Leipzig, University of Applied Sciences, Structural Concrete Institute, Leipzig, Germany
Interests: sustainable construction materials; geopolymer and alkali-activated materials; bond behavior of reinforcement; fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcements; fiber reinforced concrete, textile-reinforced concrete
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable materials are sought after more than ever due to today's pressing environmental issues, limited resources, and aging infrastructures. As the major consumer of materials, the construction industry faces pressure from different directions, and the need for change has never been higher. Research is now geared towards more environmentally friendly, more energy effective, and economically viable construction materials. Concrete, the most commonly used construction material, is now at the center of research to revolutionize the industry.

This special issue focuses on polymer and geopolymer concretes. Its main aim is to provide an update on new advances and research results in the field of polymer and geopolymer concrete and their application as sustainable construction materials. The specific areas of the special issue include (but are not limited to) synthesis, characterization, processing, structural behavior and applications of polymer and geopolymer concrete. The issue will also accept state-of-the-art reviews on different areas of polymer and geopolymer concretes.

Prof. Dr. Klaus Holschemacher
Dr. Biruk Hailu Tekle
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • geopolymers and alkali-activated materials
  • polymer concrete
  • resin binder
  • application of geopolymer concrete
  • fiber-reinforced geopolymer
  • fiber-reinforced polymer composite
  • application of polymer concrete
  • polymer modified concrete
  • environmental impact of geopolymer concrete and polymer modified concrete
  • mineral and chemical admixtures for geopolymer concrete and polymer modified concrete
  • structural behavior of geopolymer concrete and polymer modified concrete

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 3571 KiB  
Article
Multiscale Characterization at Early Ages of Ultra-High Performance Geopolymer Concrete
by Mohamed Abdellatief, Hani Alanazi, Mohammed K. H. Radwan and Ahmed M. Tahwia
Polymers 2022, 14(24), 5504; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14245504 - 15 Dec 2022
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 2017
Abstract
The main obstacle of using geopolymer as a construction repair material is its slow strength development rate, which is the most significant attribute of an early-age opening for traffic and striking-off formwork. Geopolymer technology has recently attracted huge interest as an alternative to [...] Read more.
The main obstacle of using geopolymer as a construction repair material is its slow strength development rate, which is the most significant attribute of an early-age opening for traffic and striking-off formwork. Geopolymer technology has recently attracted huge interest as an alternative to traditional cementitious materials with low environmental impact. Thus, this study investigates the feasibility of developing an ultra-high performance geopolymer concrete (UHPGC) with the aim of achieving high early-age strength. For this purpose, UHPGC mixtures activated with different potassium hydroxide molarities and aluminosilicate material types were developed and examined being cured with different curing temperatures. The early strength and durability of the UHPGC after 8 and 24 h were investigated. Experimental results revealed that the optimal mix design of UHPGC corresponds to a KOH molarity of 16 M and a 30% silica fume content. Furthermore, former mixture cured at 100 °C gave superior 8 and 24 h early strength values of 79 and 134 MPa, respectively. Moreover, a superior interaction of slag, silica fume, and activator solution at early age for UHPGC is revealed by the microstructural characteristics examined by a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, and thermogravimetric (TGA) techniques. It was also found that the compressive strength results and the results of the microstructure analysis are well coincided. The experimental results obtained in this study emphasize the feasibility of using developed UHPGC as an eco-friendly quick repair materials The development of one-part UHPGC as a quick, cost-effective, and high-strength product for all construction repair maintenance will lead to huge improvements in the structural capacity and durability of structural components. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer and Geopolymer Concrete Composites for Sustainable Development)
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30 pages, 7034 KiB  
Article
Fresh, Mechanical, and Durability Behavior of Fly Ash-Based Self Compacted Geopolymer Concrete: Effect of Slag Content and Various Curing Conditions
by Aryan Far H. Sherwani, Khaleel H. Younis and Ralf W. Arndt
Polymers 2022, 14(15), 3209; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14153209 - 06 Aug 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2043
Abstract
This investigation evaluates the influence of various curing conditions and slag inclusion on the fresh, mechanical, and durability properties of self-compacting geopolymer concrete (SCGC) based on fly ash (FA). Curing temperature and curing time have a vital role in the strength and microstructure [...] Read more.
This investigation evaluates the influence of various curing conditions and slag inclusion on the fresh, mechanical, and durability properties of self-compacting geopolymer concrete (SCGC) based on fly ash (FA). Curing temperature and curing time have a vital role in the strength and microstructure of geopolymer concrete. Therefore, to begin the research, the impacts of different curing conditions (curing temperature and curing time) and slag content on the compressive strength of FA-based SCGC were examined to determine the optimum curing method. A series of four SCGC mixes with a fixed binder content (450 kg/m3) and an alkaline/binder ratio of 0.5 was designated to conduct a parametric study. FA was replaced with slag at four different substitution percentages, including 0%, 30%, 50%, and 100% of the total weight of the binder. The fresh properties of the produced SCGC specimens were investigated in terms of slump flow diameter, T50 flow time, and L-box height ratio. Additionally, the following mechanical properties of SCGC specimens were investigated: modulus of elasticity and fracture parameters. The water permeability and freezing–thawing resistance were studied to determine the durability behavior of SCGC. In this study, the optimum curing temperature was 85 °C for the duration of 24 h, which provided the maximum compressive strength. The results confirmed that adding slag affected the workability of SCGC mixtures. However, the mechanical characteristics, fracture parameters, and durability performance of SCGC were improved for slag-rich mixtures. When using 50% slag instead of FA, the percentage increase in compressive, flexural, elastic module, and fracture energy test values were about 100%, 43%, 58%, and 55%, respectively, whilst the percentage decrease in water permeability was 65% and the resistance to freeze–thaw test in terms of surface scaling was enhanced by 79%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer and Geopolymer Concrete Composites for Sustainable Development)
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22 pages, 7087 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Artificial Intelligence Strategies to Estimate the Strength of Geopolymer Composites and Influence of Input Parameters
by Kaffayatullah Khan, Waqas Ahmad, Muhammad Nasir Amin, Ayaz Ahmad, Sohaib Nazar and Majdi Adel Al-Faiad
Polymers 2022, 14(12), 2509; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14122509 - 20 Jun 2022
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2162
Abstract
Geopolymers might be the superlative alternative to conventional cement because it is produced from aluminosilicate-rich waste sources to eliminate the issues associated with its manufacture and use. Geopolymer composites (GPCs) are gaining popularity, and their research is expanding. However, casting, curing, and testing [...] Read more.
Geopolymers might be the superlative alternative to conventional cement because it is produced from aluminosilicate-rich waste sources to eliminate the issues associated with its manufacture and use. Geopolymer composites (GPCs) are gaining popularity, and their research is expanding. However, casting, curing, and testing specimens requires significant effort, price, and time. For research to be efficient, it is essential to apply novel approaches to the said objective. In this study, compressive strength (CS) of GPCs was anticipated using machine learning (ML) approaches, i.e., one single method (support vector machine (SVM)) and two ensembled algorithms (gradient boosting (GB) and extreme gradient boosting (XGB)). All models’ validity and comparability were tested using the coefficient of determination (R2), statistical tests, and k-fold analysis. In addition, a model-independent post hoc approach known as SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) was employed to investigate the impact of input factors on the CS of GPCs. In predicting the CS of GPCs, it was observed that ensembled ML strategies performed better than the single ML technique. The R2 for the SVM, GB, and XGB models were 0.98, 0.97, and 0.93, respectively. The lowered error values of the models, including mean absolute and root mean square errors, further verified the enhanced precision of the ensembled ML approaches. The SHAP analysis revealed a stronger positive correlation between GGBS and GPC′s CS. The effects of NaOH molarity, NaOH, and Na2SiO3 were also observed as more positive. Fly ash and gravel size: 10/20 mm have both beneficial and negative impacts on the GPC′s CS. Raising the concentration of these ingredients enhances the CS, whereas increasing the concentration of GPC reduces it. Gravel size: 4/10 mm has less favorable and more negative effects. ML techniques will benefit the construction sector by offering rapid and cost-efficient solutions for assessing material characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer and Geopolymer Concrete Composites for Sustainable Development)
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20 pages, 6572 KiB  
Article
Bond Performance of Steel Bar and Fly Ash-Based Geopolymer Concrete in Beam End Tests
by Yifei Cui, Shihao Qu, Jiuwen Bao and Peng Zhang
Polymers 2022, 14(10), 2012; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14102012 - 14 May 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1703
Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the bond characteristics of steel bar reinforced geopolymer concrete (GPC). The ASTM A944 beam end tests were conducted on GPC beams reinforced with plain or ribbed bars. The bond–slip curves and the bond strength of GPC [...] Read more.
This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the bond characteristics of steel bar reinforced geopolymer concrete (GPC). The ASTM A944 beam end tests were conducted on GPC beams reinforced with plain or ribbed bars. The bond–slip curves and the bond strength of GPC beams were obtained. The relationship between the bond stress and relative slip in plain and ribbed bar reinforced GPC has been represented by empirical formulae. The bond testing results were compared with those of corresponding ordinary Portland cement concrete (OPC) using statistical hypothesis tests. The results of hypothesis testing showed that GPC was significantly superior to OPC in terms of bond capability with plain bars and bond stiffness with ribbed bars. The statistical analysis indicated that the bond–slip relations derived for OPC are inapplicable to GPC; thus, new bond–slip relations are suggested to estimate the development of bond stress and relative slip between GPC and steel bars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer and Geopolymer Concrete Composites for Sustainable Development)
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Review

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23 pages, 14107 KiB  
Review
A Scientometric-Analysis-Based Review of the Research Development on Geopolymers
by Kaffayatullah Khan, Waqas Ahmad, Muhammad Nasir Amin and Sohaib Nazar
Polymers 2022, 14(17), 3676; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14173676 - 05 Sep 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2171
Abstract
A scientometric-based assessment of the literature on geopolymers was conducted in this study to determine its critical aspects. Typical review studies are restricted in their capability to link disparate segments of the literature in a systematic and exact way. Knowledge mapping, co-citation, and [...] Read more.
A scientometric-based assessment of the literature on geopolymers was conducted in this study to determine its critical aspects. Typical review studies are restricted in their capability to link disparate segments of the literature in a systematic and exact way. Knowledge mapping, co-citation, and co-occurrence are very difficult components of creative research. This study adopted an advanced strategy of data mining, data processing and analysis, visualization and presentation, and interpretation of the bibliographic data on geopolymers. The Scopus database was used to search for and retrieve the data needed to complete the study’s objectives. The relevant sources of publications, keyword assessment, productive authors based on publications and citations, top papers based on citations received, and areas actively engaged in the research of geopolymers are recognized during the data assessment. The VOSviewer (VOS: visualization of similarities) software application was employed to analyze the literature data comprising citation, bibliographic, abstract, keywords, funding, and other information from 7468 relevant publications. In addition, the applications and restrictions associated with the use of geopolymers in the construction sector are discussed, as well as possible solutions to overcome these restrictions. The scientometric analysis revealed that the leading publication source (journal) in terms of articles and citations is “Construction and building materials”; the mostly employed keywords are geopolymer, fly ash, and compressive strength; and the top active and contributing countries based on publications are China, India, and Australia. Because of the quantitative and graphical representation of participating nations and researchers, this study can help academics to create collaborative efforts and exchange creative ideas and approaches. In addition, this study concluded that the large-scale usage of geopolymer concrete is constrained by factors such as curing regime, activator solution scarcity and expense, efflorescence, and alkali–silica reaction. However, embracing the potential solutions outlined in this study might assist in boosting the building industry’s adoption of geopolymer concrete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer and Geopolymer Concrete Composites for Sustainable Development)
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