Keywords
alkali-activated cementitious materials; durability; testing methods
Abstract
Alkali-activated cements, including 'geopolymer' materials, are now reaching commercial uptake in the UK and elsewhere, providing the opportunity to produce concretes of good performance and with reduced environmental footprint compared to established technologies. The development of performance-based specifications for alkali-activated cements and concretes is ongoing in many parts of the world, including in the UK where the world-first British Standards Institute (BSI) Publicly Available Specification PAS8820:2016 has been published to describe these materials and their utilisation. However, the technical rigour, and thus practical value, of a performance-based approach to specification of novel cements and concretes will always depend on the availability of appropriate and reliable performance tests. This paper will briefly outline the requirements of PAS8820, and discuss the activities of RILEM Technical Committee 247-DTA in working to validate durability testing standards for alkali-activated materials, bringing scientific insight into the development of appropriate specifications for these materials.
Alkali-activated cements and concretes – Durability testing to underpin standardisation
Alkali-activated cements, including 'geopolymer' materials, are now reaching commercial uptake in the UK and elsewhere, providing the opportunity to produce concretes of good performance and with reduced environmental footprint compared to established technologies. The development of performance-based specifications for alkali-activated cements and concretes is ongoing in many parts of the world, including in the UK where the world-first British Standards Institute (BSI) Publicly Available Specification PAS8820:2016 has been published to describe these materials and their utilisation. However, the technical rigour, and thus practical value, of a performance-based approach to specification of novel cements and concretes will always depend on the availability of appropriate and reliable performance tests. This paper will briefly outline the requirements of PAS8820, and discuss the activities of RILEM Technical Committee 247-DTA in working to validate durability testing standards for alkali-activated materials, bringing scientific insight into the development of appropriate specifications for these materials.
