Abstract

Extensive researches were conducted on alkali-activated materials (AAM) as a green sustainable alternative for ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Recently, there was a shift to one-part alkali-activated materials to avoid the use of corrosive activator and also to reduce the carbon footprint. Most of the researches had focused on these powder activators types and impacts on the final product properties. However, limited research had investigated the interaction of these activators and other ingredients. Hence, the novelty of this work stems from studying these interactions and illustrating their effect on the developed One-Part AAM properties. Mixing water is a critical parameter in controlling the fresh and hardened properties of construction materials. Hence, the interaction between mixing water and the anhydrous activator was examined. Also, water effluents from various industrial recourses were tested. The study highlighted, for the first time, the role of water temperature in controlling the dissolution rate of solid activators. It emphasizes how this interaction can significantly change the fresh and hardened properties. On the other hand, superplasticizer and other chemical admixtures are commonly added to enhance cementitious materials flowability. However, the high alkalinity of AAM had drastically affected their effectiveness. Hence, a premixing technique was tested to produce AAM with high flowability. Various wastes, namely, red Mud, paper mill sludge, and paper mill fly ash, were examined as a potential precursor for AAM. The study showed the potential for developing a new smart, sustainable construction material/product incorporating such industrial wastes while maintaining adequate mechanical and durability performance. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will i) lead to saving energy/reducing fossil fuel consumption to heat water during cold weather concreting will increase the sustainability level of the construction sector, ii) replace or reduce the demand for admixtures leading to both economic and environmental benefits, and iii) reduce the amount of industrial wastes sent to reservoirs through recycling/reusing in various construction applications leading to social and environmental benefits. Also, the outcomes of this research will allow the industrial sector to economically and sustainably transforming wastes into a high-value product.