Flexural Behaviour of Fibre Reinforced Geopolymer Concrete Beams Incoporating Bubble Deck Technology

Rinitha Raju1, Vaishnav S2, Maneesh S3, Reno Thomas4, Hamie Harold5

Civil Engineering Department, Bishop Jerome Institute

Abstract - Environmental issues regarding the production of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), especially with regard to the discharge of high amounts of carbon content and high amounts of energy consumption during the industrial process, have given rise to the concept of developing geopolymer concrete. This work illustrates the flexural behaviour of fibre reinforced geopolymer concrete beams incorporating bubble deck technology as an eco-friendly substitute for conventional reinforced cement concrete beams. Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) which is an industrial by-product is used to replace cement. For the improvement of binding properties of geopolymer concrete like those of the cement property, sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate is used. Steel fibres with a crimped texture are added to the geopolymer mixture for the improvement of the engineering properties such as ductility and tensile strength of the beam, and moreover, for the reduction of the self-weight of the beam Bubble Deck Technology is incorporated with the aid of hollow recycled plastic balls filled into the low-stress zone of the beam. This technology upgrades the efficiency of resources and increases sustainable building practices. With all these parameters considered, beams were cast and executed under a series of tests.Key Words:  Geopolymer concrete, Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag, Steel Fibre, Bubble Deck Technology.