Ferdowsi Civil Engineering

Ferdowsi Civil Engineering

Investigation of the Effect of Polyolefin Fibers and Cement Replacement with Slag on the Strength of Alkali-Activated Concrete Containing Rubber Particles in Normal and Acidic Environments

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Bahram Bolori kashali 1
Iman Mohammadpour Nikbin 2
, Mohammad Javad Mahdizadeh 3
1 Civil Eng.–Structural Eng., Deilaman Inst. of Higher Education.
2 Dept. of Civil Eng., Islamic Azad Univ., Rasht Branch, Rasht.
3 Civil Eng.–Construction Mgmt., Ayandeghan Univ., Tonekabon, Iran.
10.22067/jfcei.2025.92782.1353
Abstract
Slag-Based Alkali-Activated Concrete, as a Sustainable Alternative to Cementitious Concrete, Has Been Developed by Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Utilizing Industrial Waste Materials Such as Slag and Rubber Particles. In this study, the effects of replacing cement with slag (0%, 10%, and 20%) and adding rubber particles (10% by volume of fine aggregate) on the mechanical properties of polyolefin fiber-reinforced alkali-activated concrete (0%, 0.5%, and 1% by volume) were investigated. The specimens were cured under dry conditions at 60°C and subjected to compressive and tensile strength tests in both normal and sulfuric acid environments. The results showed that replacing 20% of cement with slag and adding 1% fiber led to the highest compressive (44.6 MPa) and tensile (4.87 MPa) strengths under normal conditions. In the acidic environment, the specimen without cement (100% slag) and reinforced with 1% fiber exhibited the lowest compressive strength loss (a 32.1% decrease from 42.7 MPa to 29 MPa). Microstructural analyses and ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements confirmed the improvement in mechanical properties and durability of the specimens.
Keywords
Slag-Based Alkali-Activated Concrete
Polyolefin Fibers
Cement Replacement with Slag
Acid Resistance of Alkali-Activated Concrete
[1]    A. Parande et al., “Environmental effects on concrete using ordinary and pozzolana Portland cement,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 288–297, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2010.06.027
[2]    N. Mohamad, K. Muthusamy, R. Embong, A. Kusbiantoro, and M. H. Hashim, “Environmental impact of cement production and solutions: A review,” Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 48, pp. 741–746, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.02.212
[3]    R. Allahvirdizadeh, R. Rashetnia, A. Dousti, and M. Shekarchi, “Application of polymer concrete in repair of concrete structures: A literature review,” in Concrete Solutions, 2011, pp. 435–444.
[4]    H. U. Ahmed, A. A. Mohammed, S. Rafiq, A. S. Mohammed, A. Mosavi, N. H. Sor, and S. M. Qaidi, “Compressive strength of sustainable geopolymer concrete composites: A state‑of‑the‑art review,” Sustainability, vol. 13, no. 24, p. 13502, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413502
[5]    M. Amin, Y. Elsakhawy, K. Abu el‑Hassan, and B. A. Abdelsalam, “Behavior evaluation of sustainable high‑strength geopolymer concrete based on fly ash, metakaolin, and slag,” Case Studies in Construction Materials, vol. 16, p. e00976, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2022.e00976
[6]    Achak, H., M.R. Sohrabi, and S.O. Hoseini, Effects of microsilica and polypropylene fibers on the rheological properties, mechanical parameters and durability characteristics of green self-compacting concrete containing ceramic wastes. Construction and Building Materials, 2023. 392: p. 131890. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.131890
[7]    K. Behfarnia and M. Rostami, “The effect of alkaline solution‑to‑slag ratio on permeability of alkali‑activated slag concrete,” International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 16, no. 8, pp. 897–904, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40999-017-0234-3
[8]    A. Jahani, A. R. Estabragh, H. Khajepour, and M. Amini, “Comparison of the effect of cement, ground granulated blast‑furnace slag (GGBS), and activated GGBS on stabilization of a clay soil,” Ferdowsi Civil Engineering, vol. 35, no. 3, 2022.
[9]    S. Pilehvar, V. D. Cao, A. M. Szczotok, M. Carmona, L. Valentini, M. Lanzón, R. Pamies, and A. L. Kjøniksen, “Physical and mechanical properties of fly ash and slag geopolymer concrete containing different types of micro‑encapsulated phase change materials,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 173, pp. 28–39, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.04.016
[10] Z. Tang et al., “Investigation on dynamic mechanical properties of fly ash/slag‑based geopolymeric recycled aggregate concrete,” Composites Part B: Engineering, vol. 185, p. 107776, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2020.107776
[11] O. A. Mohamed, “Effect of immersing geopolymer slag–fly ash mortar in sulfuric acid on strength development and stability of mass,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 341, p. 127786, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.127786
[12] A. E. Kurtoglu et al., “Mechanical and durability properties of fly ash and slag‑based geopolymer concrete,” Advances in Concrete Construction, vol. 6, no. 4, p. 345, 2018. https://doi.org/10.12989/acc.2018.6.4.345
[13] W. Yang, H. Liu, P. Zhu, X. Zhu, X. Liu, and X. Yan, “Effect of recycled coarse aggregate quality on the interfacial property and sulfuric acid resistance of geopolymer concrete at different acidity levels,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 375, p. 130919, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.130919
[14] M. Sienkiewicz et al., “Progress in used tyres management in the European Union: A review,” Waste Management, vol. 32, no. 10, pp. 1742–1751, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2012.05.010
[15] J. Shao, H. Zhu, G. Xue, Y. Yu, S. M. Borito, and W. Jiang, “Mechanical and restrained shrinkage behaviors of cement mortar incorporating waste tire rubber particles and expansive agent,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 296, p. 123742, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.123742
[16] C. A. Issa and G. Salem, “Utilization of recycled crumb rubber as fine aggregates in concrete mix design,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 42, pp. 48–52, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.12.054
[17] A. Rezapour and S. E. Seyedihosseini Nia, “A Study on the Effect of Shredded Tire Size on the Mechanical Behavior of Sand and Shredded Tire Mixtures Using Direct Shear Test,” Ferdowsi Civil Engineering Journal, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 17–36, 2017. https://doi.org/10.22067/civil.v29i1.41679
[18] A. Zadeh et al., "Behavior of Clayey Soils Mixed with Tire Chips," Ferdowsi Civil Engineering Journal, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 117–130, 2015. https://doi.org/10.22067/civil.v26i2.21991
[19] M. Asadzadeh and H. Soltani Jigheh, "Swelling and consolidation properties of clayey soils reinforced with tire-chips," Ferdowsi Civil Engineering Journal, vol. 23, no. 2, p. 11, 2012.
[20] I. W. Adebayo et al., “Effect of crumb rubber and polyethylene fiber on the strength and toughness of fly ash/slag‑based geopolymer concrete,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 455, p. 139133, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2024.139133
[21] O. Smirnova, A. Kharitonov, and Y. Belentsov, “Influence of polyolefin fibers on the strength and deformability properties of road pavement concrete,” Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering (English Edition), vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 407–417, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtte.2017.12.004
[22] Q. Z. M. Nejad and M. Varesteh, "Study of the effect of alkaline activator on static and dynamic properties of geopolymer mortars containing frac and fibers," Ferdowsi Civil Engineering Journal, vol. 37, no. 2, p. 11, 2025. https://doi.org/10.22067/jfcei.2025.88923.1312
[23] M. G. Azandariani et al., “Mechanical properties of polyolefin and polypropylene fibers‑reinforced concrete – An experimental study,” Composites Part C: Open Access, vol. 12, p. 100410, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomc.2023.100410
[24] H. Xu et al., “Experimental study on mechanical properties of fiber‑reinforced concrete: Effect of cellulose fiber, polyvinyl alcohol fiber and polyolefin fiber,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 261, p. 120610, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120610
[25] M. G. Azandariani et al., “Durability and compressive strength of composite polyolefin fiber‑reinforced recycled aggregate concrete: An experimental study,” Composites Part C: Open Access, vol. 15, p. 100533, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomc.2024.100533
[26] Q. Z. M. Nejad, D. Nejad, and A. Arin, "Experimental study of mechanical properties of geopolymer mortars containing slag, kaolin powder, and polymer," Ferdowsi Civil Engineering Journal, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 25–50, 2024. https://doi.org/10.22067/jfcei.2024.79313.1185
[27] I. Shafiq, M. Azreen, and M. W. Hussin, “Sulphuric acid resistant of self‑compacted geopolymer concrete containing slag and ceramic waste,” in MATEC Web of Conferences, vol. 97, p. 01102, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20179701102
[28] A. Özcan and M. B. Karakoç, “The resistance of blast furnace slag‑ and ferrochrome slag‑based geopolymer concrete against acid attack,” International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 17, no. 10, pp. 1571–1583, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40999-019-00425-2
[29] W. Yang et al., “Resistance to sulfuric acid corrosion of geopolymer concrete based on different binding materials and alkali concentrations,” Materials, vol. 14, no. 23, p. 7109, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14237109
[30] S. H. Mohammadi, M. V. Pour, and F. Pargar, "Effect of Silica Fume, Metakaolin, Zeolite and Polypropylene Fiber on Chloride Diffusion in Concrete," Ferdowsi Civil Engineering Journal, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 83–96, 2025. https://doi.org/10.22067/civil.v22i1.9036
[31] H. E. Elyamany, A. E. M. A. Elmoaty, and A. R. A. Diab, “Sulphuric acid resistance of slag geopolymer concrete modified with fly ash and silica fume,” Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Civil Engineering, vol. 45, pp. 2297–2315, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40996-020-00515-5
[32] T. A. Aiken et al., “Effect of slag content and activator dosage on the resistance of fly ash geopolymer binders to sulfuric acid attack,” Cement and Concrete Research, vol. 111, pp. 23–40, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2018.06.011
[33] A. Mehta and R. Siddique, “Sulfuric acid resistance of fly ash‑based geopolymer concrete,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 146, pp. 136–143, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.04.077
[34] S. Mehdipour et al., “Mechanical properties, durability and environmental evaluation of rubberized concrete incorporating steel fiber and metakaolin at elevated temperatures,” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 254, p. 120126, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120126
[35] D. Hardjito, S. Wallah, and B. Rangan, “Research into engineering properties of geopolymer concrete,” in Proceeding International Conference Geopolymer 2002 – Turn Potential into Profit, Melbourne, Australia, Oct. 2002.
[36] M. S. Reddy, P. Dinakar, and B. H. Rao, “A review of the influence of source material’s oxide composition on the compressive strength of geopolymer concrete,” Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, vol. 234, pp. 12–23, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micromeso.2016.07.005
[37] A. A. Aliabdo, M. Abd Elmoaty, and H. A. Salem, “Effect of cement addition, solution resting time and curing characteristics on fly ash‑based geopolymer concrete performance,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 123, pp. 581–593, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.07.043
[38] S. C. Moghaddam et al., “Mechanical properties of fly ash‑based geopolymer concrete with crumb rubber and steel fiber under ambient and sulfuric acid conditions,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 281, p. 122571, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.122571
[39] M. Shahjalal et al., “Fiber‑reinforced recycled aggregate concrete with crumb rubber: A state‑of‑the‑art review,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 404, p. 133233, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.133233
[40] F. Z. Hossain et al., “Mechanical properties of recycled aggregate concrete containing crumb rubber and polypropylene fiber,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 225, pp. 983–996, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.07.245
[41] R. Assaggaf et al., “Properties and sustainability of treated crumb rubber concrete,” Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 51, p. 104250, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2022.104250
[42] F. Wang and W. Song, “Effects of crumb rubber on compressive strength of cement‑treated soil,” Archives of Civil Engineering, vol. 61, no. 4, pp. 59–78, 2015.
[43] K. E. Kaloush, G. B. Way, and H. Zhu, “Properties of crumb rubber concrete,” Transportation Research Record, vol. 1914, no. 1, pp. 8–14, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198105191400102
[44] N. M. Noor et al., “Effect of crumb rubber on concrete strength and chloride ion penetration resistance,” Jurnal Teknologi (Sciences & Engineering), vol. 77, no. 32, 2015. https://doi.org/10.11113/jt.v77.7004
[45] A. Allahverdi and F. Skvara, “Sulfuric acid attack on hardened paste of geopolymer cements – Part 1: Mechanism of corrosion at relatively high concentrations,” Ceramics Silikáty, vol. 49, no. 4, p. 225, 2005.
[46] A. Allahverdi and F. Skvara, “Sulfuric acid attack on hardened paste of geopolymer cements – Part 2: Corrosion mechanism at mild and relatively low concentrations,” Ceramics Silikáty, vol. 50, no. 1, p. 1, 2006.
[47] X. Song et al., “Response of geopolymer concrete to sulphuric acid attack,” in Proceeding World Congress Geopolymer, 2005.
[48] J. Davidovits, “High‑alkali cements for 21st century concretes,” Special Publication, vol. 144, pp. 383–398, 1994. https://doi.org/10.14359/4523
[49] J. Gourley and G. Johnson, “Developments in geopolymer precast concrete,” in Proceeding World Congress Geopolymer, Geopolymer Institute, Saint‑Quentin, France, 2005.
[50] A. M. Izzat et al., “Sulfuric acid attack on ordinary Portland cement and geopolymer material,” Revista de Chimie, vol. 64, no. 9, pp. 1011–1014, 2013.
 
 
 
Send comment about this article
Enter Name.
Enter a valid email address.
Enter a vaid affiliation.
Enter comments (At leaset 10 words)
CAPTCHA Image
Enter Security Code Correctly.