Investigation on the accelerated pavement test track (APTT) in the development of road network using geopolymer concrete

Abstract

Geopolymers produced with fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) are beneficial and environmentally advantageous materials, but their fragility limits their applications. In this study, the acceleratory pavement test track (APTT) was constructed to evaluate the properties of geopolymer concrete (GPC) in practical field conditions. The strength and microstructural characteristics are presented to understand the applicability of GPC for pavement applications. The rapid chloride permeability test (RCPT) and accelerated corrosion test (ACPT) were conducted to find the durability properties of APTT. On the other hand, non-destructive testing (NDT) was conducted to estimate the quality of GPC. The results are indicated that the GPC has better strength and durability properties towards the construction of pavements. Meanwhile, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed that the GPC based APTT has shown a denser microstructure and observed a steady geopolymeric matrix formation under ambient curing compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete.

Keywords

• Geopolymer concrete
• Acceleratory pavement test track (APTT)
• Mechanical properties
• Microstructure
• X-ray technique