Experimental Study on Flexural Strength of Reinforced Geopolymer Concrete Beams

This paper presents the flexural response of Reinforced Geopolymer Concrete (RGPC) beams. A commercial finite element (FE) software ABAQUS has been used to perform a structural behavior of RGPC beams. Using parameters such: stress, strain, Young’s modulus, and Poisson’s ratio obtained from experimental results, a beam model has been simulated in ABAQUS. The results from experimental tests and ABAQUS simulation were compared. Due to friction forces at the supports and loading rollers; slip occurring, the actual deflection of RGPC beam from experimental test results were slightly different from the results of ABAQUS. And there is good agreement between the crack patterns of fly ash-based geopolymer concrete generated by FE analysis using ABAQUS, and those in experimental data.





References:
[1] McCaffrey R. Climate Change and the Cement Industry. Global Cement and Lime Magazine. 2002; 15-9.
[2] Davidovits J. Global Warming Impact on the Cement and Aggregates Industries. World Resource Review 1999; 46: 263-78.
[3] Davidovits J. Synthesis of new high temperature geopolymers for reinforced plastics/composites. SPE PACTEC 79, Society of Plastic Engineers 1979; 151–54.
[4] Davidovits J. Ancient and modern concretes: what is the real difference. Concr. Int.1987; 12, 23–5.
[5] Davidovits J. Geopolymer chemistry and Applications, 3rd ed. France: Institut Geopolymer; 2011.
[6] Duxson P. Effect of Alkali cations on Aluminum incorporation in Geopolymeric gels. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2005; 44: 4-832.
[7] Ganesan N, Abraham R, Deepa RS, Sasi D. Stress-strain behavior of confined Geopolymer concrete. Cons. Build. Mater. 2014; 73, 236-331.
[8] Brooke NJ, Keyte LM, South W, Megget LM, Ingham JM. Seismic Performance of ‘Green Concrete’ Interior Beam-Column Joints. In Proceeding of Australian Structural Engineering Conference (ASEC) 2005, Newcastle.
[9] Uma K, Anuradha R, Venkatasubramani R. Experimental investigation and analytical modeling of reinforced geopolymer concrete beam. Int. J Civ. Struct. Eng. 2012;3.
[10] Sumajouw MDJ, Rangan BV. Low calcium fly ash-based geopolymer concrete: Reinforced beams and columns. Research report GC-3 2006, Faculty of Engineering, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia.
[11] ASTM C469, Standard Test Method for Static Modulus of Elasticity and Poison’s Ratio of Concrete in Compression.
[12] Abaqus v. 6. 10. (2010) Dassault Systemes Simulia Corp. Software: Windows 7 OS.