The Influence of Curing Treatments on Compressive Strength and Durability of Geopolymer Paving Blocks

Abstract

The current study focused on developing geopolymer paving blocks for infrastructure facilities utilizing industrial wastes. This research investigated the effect of various curing treatments on the compressive strength and durability of geopolymer paving blocks. Three curing methods, such as laying to room temperature, moist curing covered by a wet cloth sheet and total immersion in artificial acidic water, were studied. The geopolymer paver specimen was produced by mixing low calcium of fly ash, sand, and alkali activator, such as sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃) with 8M and 10M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) with a ratio of 2.5. The hydraulic press machine was then used for pressing the specimen. The evaluation of these specimens included assessing their compressive strength, water absorption, resistance to sodium sulfate, and density following recommended standards. The results indicated that the geopolymer paver cured by total immersion in artificial acid water exhibited worse performance in strength and durability than the other two curing methods. The highest compressive strength, exceeding 35 MPa, categorizing it as class A, was achieved by the specimens subjected to moist curing. All geopolymer paving block specimens are suitable for various applications, pedestrian zones and city parks.