Fiber-Reinforced Alkali-Activated Materials Based on Waste Materials †.

The adverse effects associated with a rise in global temperature require substantial advances in various industries, the building industry in particular, with an emphasis on sustainability and circular economy measures. Research effort on the design of alkali-activated materials with sufficient engineering properties is thus on the rise, as these materials form a possible way to replace cementitious binders in the future. This paper deals with the description of an alternative material without the use of cementitious binders. The alkaline activation of a blended precursor composed of a finely ground granulated blast furnace slag and metashale, activated using waste alkalis from industrial production is studied. In addition, this material was reinforced using 25 mm long fibers of a waste fiberglass reinforcement fabric to improve the mechanical properties. This research confirmed the suitability of using a range of waste or secondary raw materials to produce new materials which then have lower environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]