Mechanical performance of fiber-reinforced slag-based lightweight geopolymer mortar incorporating with expanded glass lightweight aggregate at elevated temperatures

The effects of utilizing lightweight expanded glass aggregate (LEGA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers on the characteristics of lightweight geopolymer mortar are investigated in this study. The mechanical characteristics of LWGM with and without fibers are also investigated as a function of temperature (room temperature, 250°C, and 500°C). With 10% and 20%, LEGA can be utilized as a partial replacement for river sand. Slag was used as the basic material for LWGM, which was activated with a solution of sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide. At room temperature, three distinct combinations were produced and cured. The characteristics of workability and density were tested for the fresh situation. To examine the mechanical characteristics of LWGM with and without fibers, a number of experiments were carried out, including compression, flexural, and uniaxial tensile tests. The study discovered that when the degree of LEGA replacement increases, the density and compressive strength of the LWGM decreases. Furthermore, adding a 1% PVA fiber volume fraction to LWGM considerably enhanced its flexural and tensile performance. The mechanical characteristics of examined materials exposed to extreme temperatures of 500°C altered considerably, according to the experimental data. Keywords: Lightweight Geopolymer Mortar (LWGM), Lightweight Expanded Glass Aggregate (LEGA), PVA Fibers; Elevated Temperatures, Mechanical Characteristics