The Impact of Nanomaterials on High Performance Alkali-Activated Binary Blended Concrete

The fresh, mechanical, and durability characteristics of geopolymer concrete produced using ground granulated blast furnace slag, metakaolin, and nano silica as source materials are examined in this paper. 9 concrete mixes were created, comprising 8 geopolymer concrete variations based on various binary and ternary binder combinations and control mixture. Because of the finer particle sizes and high reactivity of metakaolin and nano silica, the slump test revealed that geopolymer concrete mixes showed a slight decrease in workability when compared to the control mixture however, superplasticizers helped achieve good workability. The results of the strength tests also confirmed that, in comparison to conventional concrete, all geopolymer concrete formulations had greater compressive, split tensile, and flexural strengths. In that respect, GC7, which contained 2% nano silica, turned out to yield the best performance, resulting from improved gel formation and internal matrix densification. Durability tests also indicated lower saturated water absorption and improved resistance to sulfuric acid attack in all geopolymer concrete mixtures, with an absorption continually decreasing with age. These findings confirm that GGBS–MK–NS-based geopolymer concrete has better strength and durability characteristics, which further reinforces its potential as an eco-friendly and high-performance alternative to traditional OPC concrete.