journal article·2026-01-23Open access

Mechanical properties and constitutive model of high-ductility engineered geopolymer composites

Bo Xie, Xingdong Hao, Xi Liu, Yu Zhang, Jianqiang Zhang, Zhi Qiao

Nanotechnology Reviews· Volume 15· Issue 1

Abstract

Abstract To develop low-carbon and high-toughness civil engineering materials, this study systematically investigates the mechanical properties, tensile constitutive model, and sustainability of high-ductility engineered geopolymer composites (EGC). Through 11 sets of mix proportion tests, the effects of slag content, water-to-binder ratio, alkali-to-binder ratio, sand-to-binder ratio, and fiber volume fraction on the performance of EGC were quantitatively analyzed. The results indicate that EGC exhibits exceptionally high early strength, with its 3-day compressive strength reaching 81–96 % of its 28-day strength (up to 94.04 MPa). Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers effectively inhibit crack propagation, enabling the composite to achieve an ultimate tensile strain of 5.78 % and maintain crack widths below 100 μm under the optimal saturated fine cracking pattern. Furthermore, a bilinear tensile constitutive model incorporating the fiber characteristic parameter ( λ f ) was established, showing high agreement with experimental data. In addition, life-cycle assessment (LCA) and cost analysis demonstrate that EGC significantly reduces the carbon footprint compared to traditional cement-based ECC. By introducing the eco-strength index and eco-tensile strain index, this study confirms that EGC achieves a superior balance between remarkable mechanical ductility and environmental efficiency, providing a reliable theoretical and practical basis for sustainable structural engineering.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Concrete and Cement Materials Research · Innovative concrete reinforcement materials · Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Northwest Engineering Corporation Limited , Xi’an 710065 , China

School of Civil Engineering, Chang’an University , Xi’an 710064 , China

Funding

The Qinchuangyuan Project of Shaanxi Province · Key Research Development Projects of Shaanxi Province

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