Structural Behavior of Geopolymer Concrete Thin Wall Panels Based on Metakaolin and Recycled Concrete Aggregate

Due to the current popularity of Reinforced Concrete (RC) wall construction and the new published codes for concrete, RC walls have become just as important structural elements as beams, slabs and columns.

This paper presents the structural behavior of geopolymer concrete thin wall panels based on metakaolin and recycled concrete aggregate subjected to axial eccentric uniformly distributed loading with varying Aspect Ratios (AR=H/L) and steel reinforcement ratios. The experimental program includes testing of five two-way thin geopolymer concrete wall panels; fixed at all sides and applying the load axially with eccentricity equal to the wall thickness/6.

The results indicate that the load-carrying capacity of the geopolymer concrete wall panels increased to about 63% with a decrease in AR (H/L) from 1.875 to 0.75. The lateral deflection decreased to about 50% with a decrease in AR (H/L) from 1.875 to 0.75. Also, the results show that the load-carrying capacity of the geopolymer concrete wall panels increased to nearly 48% with an increase in the steel reinforcement ratio from 2.32% to 3.38%. The lateral deflection also decreased by 20% with an increase in the steel reinforcement ratio to 3.38%. The results show that locally manufactured Metakaolin can be used for producing Geopolymer concrete.