Experimental Studies on Mechanical Properties of Self Healing Geopolymer Concrete
Authors:-S. Kavipriya, S. Adithiya, P. Gowtham, S. James Christopher
Abstract-This study investigates the development and mechanical properties of bacteria-infused self-healing ceramic-based geopolymer concrete. Geopolymer concrete, a sustainable alternative to traditional cement-based concrete, was infused with bacteria (Bacillus Megaterium) to enhance its self-healing capabilities. Geopolymer is a new development in the world of concrete in which cement is totally replaced by pozzolanic materials like fly ash and activated by highly alkaline solutions to act as a binder in the concrete mix. In this project we have totally replaced cement with ceramic powder. Therefore, efforts are made in this study to develop geopolymer concrete by employing ceramic powder as binder material and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicates (Na2SiO3) as alkaline activators. The activator solution (AAS) to binder solids (BS) ratio ranging from 0.4 to 1.0. Investigations are carried out to determine the fresh properties and mechanical properties such as compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength and water absorption also carried out. Present investigation has been under taken to study the strength parameters of GPC on adding 10%, 20%, 30% of bacteria (Bacillus Megaterium) along with water in GPC. The results show that the bacteria-infused geopolymer concrete exhibits improved mechanical and self healing properties, reduced water absorption, and enhanced self-healing capabilities compared to the control concrete. This innovative material has potential applications in infrastructure development, offering a sustainable solution for concrete structures.
