Published on: September 2026
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF THE MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF LOW-CALCIUM FLY ASH AND SLAG-BASED GEOPOLYMER CONCRETE
Manish Meshram
Prof. Ashish shrivas
Vikrant University, Gwalior, (M.P.) India
Article Status
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Abstract
Concrete specimens incorporating slag-based geopolymer concrete (SGPC), fly ash-based geopolymer concrete (FAGPC), and OPC concrete were prepared and exposed to different aggressive environments, including 5% sulfuric acid, 5% magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄), and 3.5% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution representing seawater conditions. The durability performance was evaluated through acid-resistance testing, visual examination, and measurements of changes in specimen weight. Compressive strength tests were conducted before and after chemical exposure to determine the effect of these aggressive environments on the mechanical performance of the geopolymer concretes.
The results indicated that SGPC containing 100% slag exhibited higher strength and durability than FAGPC containing 100% fly ash. This superior performance was attributed to the formation of a denser and stronger cross-linked aluminosilicate polymer network in the slag-based geopolymer concrete. Furthermore, the 100% fly ash-based geopolymer concrete demonstrated better durability than conventional OPC concrete under the investigated chemical environments. However, its mechanical performance was lower than that of OPC concrete, mainly due to the relatively low reactivity of fly ash, its lower calcium content, and the more porous internal structure of the geopolymer matrix. Among all the chemical exposure conditions, sulfuric acid produced the most severe deterioration in all types of concrete.
Keywords: Fly ash–slag-based geopolymer concrete (FAGPC/SGPC); mechanical properties; durability; sulfuric acid; magnesium sulfate; seawater; chemical attack.
How to Cite this Paper
Meshram, M. (2026). Experimental Investigation of the Mechanical Performance of Low-Calcium Fly Ash and Slag-Based Geopolymer Concrete. International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management, <i>02</i>(9), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i9.078
Meshram, Manish. "Experimental Investigation of the Mechanical Performance of Low-Calcium Fly Ash and Slag-Based Geopolymer Concrete." International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management, vol. 02, no. 9, 2026, pp. 1-9. doi:https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i9.078.
Meshram, Manish. "Experimental Investigation of the Mechanical Performance of Low-Calcium Fly Ash and Slag-Based Geopolymer Concrete." International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management 02, no. 9 (2026): 1-9. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i9.078.
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