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High Utilization of Geopolymer Concrete for Sustainable Building Solutions
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High Utilization of Geopolymer Concrete for Sustainable Building Solutions

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 2285

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Bai Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410205, China
Interests: low-carbon geopolymer concrete; high-performance alkali-activated materials; FRP-reinforced geopolymer-based marine concrete structures; durability of concrete structures; machine learning
Dr. Yanbing Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Civilaviation, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 211106, China
Interests: geopolymer concrete; low-carbon concrete; green concrete; comprehensive utilization of solid waste; durability of concrete materials and structures
Dr. Dunwen Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410205, China
Interests: geopolymer concrete; shrinkage and creep; long-term performance; structural behavior
Dr. Xu Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410205, China
Interests: fiber-reinforced cementitious composites; Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC); Engineered Geopolymer Composites (EGC); Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC); FRP with/without inorganic matrix strengthening/reinforcing RC structures
Dr. Yao-Rong Dong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
Interests: structural vibration control and structural resistance; hybrid test; structural damage assessment and reinforcement
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is the most widely used and essential building material in civil engineering. However, the production process of OPC leads to increasingly severe energy consumption and environmental issues. To address these challenges, geopolymer- or alkali-activated materials, innovative types of inorganic cementitious material developed in recent years, have emerged as promising alternatives. Geopolymers not only facilitate the resource reuse of industrial solid waste, but also significantly reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. As such, they are poised to become a sustainable alternative to ordinary silicate cement. Currently, a diverse range of raw materials is available for the preparation of geopolymers. However, there are notable differences in the microstructure, mechanical properties, and shrinkage characteristics among various geopolymer systems, leading to relatively low application efficiency of geopolymer concrete. Consequently, in-depth research is required to effectively enhance the mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete and improve its overall utilization efficiency, thereby establishing a solid foundation for modern green urbanization.

This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest advancements and findings related to the modification and efficient utilization of geopolymer concrete, with the goal of promoting sustainable development and modernization. We invite high-quality original research articles and state-of-the-art reviews on a range of topics, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Efficient utilization of low-carbon geopolymer concrete;
  • Performance optimization of geopolymer concrete;
  • Fiber-reinforced geopolymer-based composites;
  • Durability of geopolymer concrete;
  • 3D printing technologies for geopolymer concrete;
  • Machine learning-based concrete proportion design;
  • Numerical simulation of low-carbon concrete.

We hope that the publication of this Special Issue will advance research and applications in the field of geopolymer concrete, ultimately contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals.

Dr. Bai Zhang
Dr. Yanbing Zhao
Dr. Dunwen Huang
Dr. Xu Yang
Dr. Yao-Rong Dong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • geopolymer concrete
  • alkali-activated materials
  • mechanical performance
  • solid waste utilization microstructures
  • mix optimization
  • durability

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 8848 KiB  
Article
Study on the Properties and Pore Structure of Geopolymer Foam Concrete Incorporating Lead–Zinc Tailings
by Yifan Yang, Ming Li, Qi He and Chongjie Liao
Buildings 2025, 15(10), 1703; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15101703 - 18 May 2025
Viewed by 309
Abstract
Geopolymer foam concrete (GFC) is a green, lightweight material produced by introducing bubbles into the geopolymer slurry. The raw materials for GFC are primarily silicon–aluminum-rich minerals or solid waste. Lead–zinc tailings (LZTs), as an industrial solid waste with high silicon–aluminum content, hold significant [...] Read more.
Geopolymer foam concrete (GFC) is a green, lightweight material produced by introducing bubbles into the geopolymer slurry. The raw materials for GFC are primarily silicon–aluminum-rich minerals or solid waste. Lead–zinc tailings (LZTs), as an industrial solid waste with high silicon–aluminum content, hold significant potential as raw materials for building materials. This study innovatively utilized LZTs to prepare GFC, incorporating MK, GGBS, and alkali activators as silicon–aluminum-rich supplementary materials and using H2O2 as a foaming agent, successfully producing GFC with excellent properties. The effects of different LZT content on the pore structure and various macroscopic properties of GFC were comprehensively evaluated. The results indicate that an appropriate addition of LZT effectively optimizes the pore structure, resulting in uniform pore distribution and pore shapes that are more spherical. Spherical pores exhibit better geometric compactness. The optimal LZT content was determined to be 40%, at which the GFC exhibits the best compressive strength, thermal conductivity, and water resistance. At this content, the dry density of GFC is 641.95 kg/m3, the compressive strength reaches 6.50 MPa after 28 days, and the thermal conductivity is 0.176 (W/(m·K)). XRD and SEM analyses indicate that under the combined effects of geopolymerization and hydration reactions, N–A–S–H gel and C–S–H gel were formed. The preparation of GFC using LZTs shows significant potential and research value. This study also provides a feasible scheme for the recycling and utilization of LZTs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Utilization of Geopolymer Concrete for Sustainable Building Solutions)
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12 pages, 1839 KiB  
Article
Improving Drying Shrinkage Performance of Metakaolin-Based Geopolymers by Adding Cement
by Zhichao Li, Yiwei Yang, Teng Dong and Zhijun Chen
Buildings 2025, 15(10), 1650; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15101650 - 14 May 2025
Viewed by 296
Abstract
Geopolymers, as sustainable alternatives to conventional cement, face application limitations due to pronounced drying shrinkage. This study systematically investigates the effects of cement incorporation (0–40%) on the drying shrinkage mitigation and performance evolution of metakaolin-based geopolymers (MKBGs) through multi-scale characterization of mechanical properties, [...] Read more.
Geopolymers, as sustainable alternatives to conventional cement, face application limitations due to pronounced drying shrinkage. This study systematically investigates the effects of cement incorporation (0–40%) on the drying shrinkage mitigation and performance evolution of metakaolin-based geopolymers (MKBGs) through multi-scale characterization of mechanical properties, reaction kinetics, and pore structure refinement. Key findings reveal that 10% cement addition optimally reduces drying shrinkage through pore structure densification and elastic modulus enhancement. The cement–geopolymer hybrid system exhibited a distinctive dual-reaction mechanism: cement hydration produced C-S-H gels that refined the pore structure while simultaneously competing with and delaying the geopolymerization kinetics, as demonstrated by the extended duration of the reaction exotherm. However, cement contents exceeding 20% induce detrimental self-desiccation shrinkage, resulting in net shrinkage amplification. Microstructural analysis confirms that the optimal 10% cement dosage achieves synergistic phase evolution, with N-A-S-H and C-S-H gels co-operatively improving mechanical strength and dimensional stability. This work provides quantitative guidelines for designing shrinkage-resistant geopolymer composites through controlled cement hybridization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Utilization of Geopolymer Concrete for Sustainable Building Solutions)
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16 pages, 7946 KiB  
Article
Influence of Retarders on the Properties and Microstructure of an Alkali-Activated Fly Ash–Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag–Extracted Titanium Tailing Slag Binder
by Lijuan He, Jingjing Li, Xiaoxin Yun, Shuping Wang, Xuan Liu, Jingwei Yang and Runzhi He
Buildings 2025, 15(4), 560; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15040560 - 12 Feb 2025
Viewed by 535
Abstract
Alkali-activated materials, serving as alternative cementitious materials, showed great mechanical properties and excellent durability. Nevertheless, their practical application was limited due to their rapid setting and loss of workability. To adjust the workability and setting time, Na2HPO4 and Ba(NO3 [...] Read more.
Alkali-activated materials, serving as alternative cementitious materials, showed great mechanical properties and excellent durability. Nevertheless, their practical application was limited due to their rapid setting and loss of workability. To adjust the workability and setting time, Na2HPO4 and Ba(NO3)2 were used as retarders in the alkali-activated ternary binders incorporating fly ash (FA), ground blastfurnace slag (GGBFS), and extracted titanium tailing slag (TS). The influence of retarder content on the fresh and hardening properties, as well as the microstructure development of the binder, was investigated. The results showed that both Na2HPO4 and Ba(NO3)2 could prolong the setting time of the binder, but the latter was more effective. When these retarders’ content was 1.5 wt.%, the initial setting time was extended by 21% and 45% to 103 min and 123 min, respectively. Ba(NO3)2 was harmful to the strength development of the binder, and the values of specimens containing 1.5 wt.% Ba(NO3)2 decreased by 9.1%, 22.2%, and 22.2% at 1, 3, and 28 days, respectively. Whereas the addition of Na2HPO4 was slightly negative to the 1- and 3-day strength of the binder, it benefitted the 28-day strength. Adding 1.0 wt.% Na2HPO4 would promote the formation of reaction products, resulting in an increase in the 28-day compressive strength by 8.5% to 53.5 MPa. The primary phases of this binder were C-A-S-H and C-(N)-A-H gels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Utilization of Geopolymer Concrete for Sustainable Building Solutions)
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Review

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26 pages, 6934 KiB  
Review
A Review of the Thermal and Mechanical Characteristics of Alkali-Activated Composites at Elevated Temperatures
by Ting Wu, Si Tang, Yao-Rong Dong and Jiang-Hua Luo
Buildings 2025, 15(5), 738; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15050738 - 25 Feb 2025
Viewed by 744
Abstract
Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) are promoted as a sustainable alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). They not only have excellent resistance to high temperatures and chemical corrosion, but they can also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce energy consumption. Despite their superior [...] Read more.
Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) are promoted as a sustainable alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). They not only have excellent resistance to high temperatures and chemical corrosion, but they can also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce energy consumption. Despite their superior resistance to high temperatures compared to conventional cement-based concretes, studies have indicated that AAMs still face challenges related to performance degradation under elevated temperatures. This paper systematically reviews and summarizes the thermal properties (i.e., thermal expansion, thermal stability, and thermal conductivity), mechanical performance, and deterioration mechanisms of various alkali-activated composite systems. The findings reveal significant variability in resistance to high temperatures among different AAM systems, originating from the diversity of precursor materials used. Generally, the strength deterioration of various AAMs below 400 °C is minimal or even slightly increased, while between 600 °C and 800 °C, the strength degradation is significantly accelerated. Upon reaching 800 °C, the rate of the strength deterioration of AAMs tends to stabilize, with some alkali-activated composites even exhibiting signs of strength recovery. After exposure to high temperatures of 800 °C, the retentions of the compressive strength and flexural strength of alkali-activated composites are in the ranges of about 20–60% and 20–40%, respectively. The degradation mechanisms at elevated temperatures primarily include crystalline-phase transformation, microstructural changes, and thermal incompatibility arising from the differing coefficients of thermal expansion between the matrix and the aggregates. Finally, this paper discusses effective strategies to enhance the resistance of AAMs to high temperatures and highlights both the opportunities and challenges for future research in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Utilization of Geopolymer Concrete for Sustainable Building Solutions)
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