Material properties of structurally viable alkali-activated fly ash concrete

As the concern for the environment and need for sustainable construction practices continues to grow, development of portland cement-free binders is gaining wide interest in the concrete research and engineering community responsible for design and construction of civil infrastructure. In this work, microstructural (as determined by quantitative X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy techniques) and material properties of alkali-activated fly ash concrete were evaluated to verify the material's performance and structural viability. Results show that the heatcured products of reaction of fly ash in an aqueous alkaline solution form a concrete binder with adequate design properties and promising durability aspects.