Performance of Geopolymer Concrete with Nano-materials (Nano-Silica / Nano-Alumina) as Additives

Concrete is a major construction material, that is largely made up of cement; however, its high cost and ecological unsustainability has been a source of concern over the years in construction industry. In recent years, innovative cementitious materials that can be used as an alternative for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with improved performance and emission, are locally source to reduce CO2 emission into the atmosphere during cement production and high cost of cement in concrete production. Therefore, geopolymer is an innovative and environmentally beneficial binder material that was developed to reduce Portland cement 's harmful environmental consequences. Geopolymer is one of the trending research areas in composite materials; there are many areas in geopolymer that unexplored still need to be explore. This study investigates the effects of blended metakaolin concrete produced with Sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA), Rice husk ash (RHA) and alkali solution in concrete production. The optimum percentage of Metakaolin replacement was investigated and the concrete samples were tested for strength, dry shrinkage and elastic modulus. The effectiveness of two materials was examined with Metakaolin in concrete. The -percentage replacement of MK with SCBA and RHA was at 50%, 60% and 70% respectively. The samples of the concrete cubes were cured in ambient temperature and aging period of 7, 14, 28 and 56days were used to cure the samples. The fresh, mechanical properties, shrinkage and modulus of elasticity of geopolymer were investigated. Geopolymer was observed to have medium workability and mechanical properties, showed good results. The optimum mix maximum strength was observed. The target strength from the design is 25N/mm2, though; 88% of its was achieved. The strength is decreasing with increase of MK percentage and also the elastic modulus decrease; whereas the shrinkage increased as the % of MK increases. This study emphasizes, the potential for global adoption, cost saving, environmental friendly and also provide valuable insight for environmentally sustainable development.