Bond performance of geopolymer concrete via hinged beam approach

The purpose of this thesis work is to compare the bond behavior of geopolymer concrete with steel to that of traditional Portland cement concrete. The steel-concrete bond behavior is one of the fundamental parameters of reinforced concrete systems, and in the literature, there are a limited number of studies on the bond behavior and structural performance of geopolymer concrete. In the initial stage of the research, geopolymer concretes with Ms (Silica Module) values of 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 were produced using fly ash as an aluminosilicate source. A constant Na2O concentration of 10% was preferred in the design, and heat curing was applied at temperatures of 80, 100, and 120°C. The workability of these concretes in their fresh state and their compressive strengths in their hardened state were examined. In the second stage, the bond performance was analyzed using the Standard Belgium Hinged Beam method. Beams with diameters of 5Ø, 10Ø, and 20Ø were produced using geopolymer concrete and traditional Portland cement concrete, and for this purpose, the bond performance of both types of concrete in bending conditions was comparatively assessed. As a result, it was determined that the bond performance of geopolymer concrete is superior to traditional Portland cement concrete with similar strength. Keywords: geopolymer concrete, conventional portland cement concrete, bond peformance, hinged beam test