Surface Durability and Mechanical Performance of Sustainable KOH-Activated Hybrid Fly Ash Mortars for Flooring Layers
Source abstract
Abstract
Sustainable mortars for flooring require mechanical stability and surface durability against abrasion, not only compressive strength. This study evaluates potassium hydroxide (KOH)-activated hybrid fly ash mortars as candidate materials for sustainable flooring and surface wear layers. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was partially replaced with fly ash (FA) at OPC/FA ratios of 90/10, 80/20, and 70/30, using 4 M and 8 M KOH solutions. The experimental program included the characterization of fly ash, the alkaline solution, and fine aggregate, as well as flowability, bulk density, compressive strength, abrasion mass loss, and numerical consistency analysis. The results showed that OPC exhibited the highest strength and lowest wear; among the hybrid mortars, 90/10–8 M exhibited the highest relative performance, while 80/20–8 M provided the best balance between cement reduction, strength, and wear. The integrated mechanical–surface performance index IMS and the analytical–numerical consistency assessment enabled the formulations to be ranked using an integrated selection criterion.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Affiliations
Faculty of Architecture and Engineering, Institución Universitaria Colegio Mayor de Antioquia, Medellin 050035, Colombia
Faculty of Engineering, Corporación Universitaria Remington, Medellin 050010, Colombia
Faculty of Mines, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellin 050034, Colombia
Faculty of Architecture, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellin 050034, Colombia
Funding
Institución Universitaria Colegio Mayor de Antioquia
References (38)
Show source-provided references
1. (2015). ACI Committee 302 (Standard No. ACI 302.1R-15). Available online: https://www.concrete.org/publications/internationalconcreteabstractsportal.aspx?id=51687974.
2. (2014). Methods of Test for Screed Materials—Part 3: Determination of Wear Resistance–Bohme (Standard No. EN 13892-3:2014).
3. (2019). Standard Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Concrete or Mortar Surfaces by the Rotating-Cutter Method (Standard No. ASTM C944/C944M-19).
4. (2019). Standard Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Horizontal Concrete Surfaces (Standard No. ASTM C779/C779M-19).
5. Industrially interesting approaches to low-CO2 cements10.1016/j.cemconres.2004.01.021 ↗
6. Eco-efficient cements: Potential economically viable solutions for a low-CO2 cement-based materials industry10.1016/j.cemconres.2018.03.015 ↗
7. (2024). ACI Committee 323. Low-Carbon Concrete—Code Requirements and Commentary (Standard No. ACI CODE-323-24).
8. Alkali-activated fly ashes: A cement for the future10.1016/S0008-8846(98)00243-9 ↗
9. Composition and microstructure of alkali activated fly ash binder: Effect of the activator10.1016/j.cemconres.2005.03.003 ↗
10. Geopolymeric materials prepared using Class F fly ash and elevated temperature curing10.1016/j.cemconres.2004.06.031 ↗
11. Mehta, P.K., and Monteiro, P.J.M. (2006). Concrete: Microstructure, Properties, and Materials, McGraw-Hill. [3rd ed.].
12. Shi, C., Krivenko, P.V., and Roy, D. (2006). Alkali-Activated Cements and Concretes, Taylor & Francis.10.4324/9780203390672 ↗
13. Geopolymer technology: The current state of the art10.1007/s10853-006-0637-z ↗
14. A review on the utilization of fly ash10.1016/j.pecs.2009.11.003 ↗
15. Variation in hybrid cements over time. Alkaline activation of fly ash–Portland cement blends10.1016/j.cemconres.2013.03.022 ↗
16. Effect of alkali-hydroxide on hydration kinetics and microstructure of high-volume fly ash blended cement pastes10.1016/j.cemconres.2024.107641 ↗
17. García-Lodeiro, I., Donatello, S., Fernández-Jiménez, A., and Palomo, A. (2016). Hydration of hybrid alkaline cement containing a very large proportion of fly ash: A descriptive model. Materials, 9.10.3390/ma9070605 ↗
18. Impact of the fly ash/alkaline activator ratio on the microstructure and dielectric properties of fly ash KOH-based geopolymer10.3390/civileng5020028 ↗
19. Effects of fly ash characteristics and alkaline activator components on compressive strength of fly ash-based geopolymer mortar10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.04.092 ↗
20. Alkali-activated materials10.1016/j.cemconres.2017.02.009 ↗
21. Microstructural: Chemical–mechanical bridge for anchorage design in alkali-activated concretes10.1617/s11527-026-02963-3 ↗
22. (2019). Standard Specification for Coal Fly Ash and Raw or Calcined Natural Pozzolan for Use in Concrete (Standard No. ASTM C618-19).
23. (2020). Standard Test Method for Organic Impurities in Fine Aggregates for Concrete (Standard No. ASTM C40/C40M-20).
24. (2023). Standard Test Method for Materials Finer than 75-μm (No. 200) Sieve in Mineral Aggregates by Washing (Standard No. ASTM C117-23).
25. (2019). Standard Test Method for Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates (Standard No. ASTM C136/C136M-19).
26. (2022). Standard Test Method for Relative Density (Specific Gravity) and Absorption of Fine Aggregate (Standard No. ASTM C128-22).
27. (2020). Standard Test Method for Flow of Hydraulic Cement Mortar (Standard No. ASTM C1437-20).
28. (2021). Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars (Using 2-in. or [50 mm] Cube Specimens) (Standard No. ASTM C109/C109M-21).
29. The FEniCS Project Version 1.5
30. Logg, A., Mardal, K.-A., and Wells, G.N. (2012). Automated Solution of Differential Equations by the Finite Element Method: The FEniCS Book, Springer.10.1007/978-3-642-23099-8 ↗
31. Gmsh: A three-dimensional finite element mesh generator with built-in pre- and post-processing facilities10.1002/nme.2579 ↗
32. Infrared spectra experimental analyses on alkali-activated fly ash-based binders10.1016/j.saa.2021.120698 ↗
33. Zhao, J., and Wang, Y. (2023). Microstructure evaluation of fly ash geopolymers alkali-activated by binary composite activators. Minerals, 13.10.20944/preprints202306.0148.v1 ↗
34. du Toit, G., van der Merwe, E.M., Kruger, R.A., McDonald, J.M., and Kearsley, E.P. (2022). Characterisation of the hydration products of a chemically and mechanically activated high coal fly ash hybrid cement. Minerals, 12.10.3390/min12020157 ↗
35. (2018). Standard Specification for Concrete Aggregates (Standard No. ASTM C33/C33M-18).
36. Compressive strength and microstructural properties of fly ash–based geopolymer concrete10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0001656 ↗
37. Abrasion resistance behaviour of fly ash based geopolymer using nanoindentation and artificial neural network10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.04.021 ↗
38. A comprehensive study on the performance of alkali activated fly ash/GGBFS geopolymer concrete pavement10.1080/14680629.2021.1926311 ↗