Alkali-Activated Mortars Incorporating Construction and Demolition Waste and Industrial By-products: A Fresh and Hardened State Evaluation

Year 2025, Early View, 1 - 1

Selahattin Güzelküçük , Oğuzhan Şahin , Şevki Eren , Hüseyin Ulugöl

Abstract

This study examines the potential of alkali-activated composites to produce sustainable building materials by recycling construction and demolition waste (CDW). Various waste materials such as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), class F and C fly ash (FA), recycled waste clay brick powder (RWBP), and waste concrete powder (WCP) were used to produce different alkali-activated composites along with recycled concrete aggregate. The prepared mixtures were analyzed for their fresh-state properties, as well as their physical and mechanical characteristics, including workability, strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), and resistance to high temperatures. The findings indicate that mixtures with class C fly ash achieved higher compressive strength, whereas F class fly ash positively affected workability and high-temperature resistance. Slag effectively enhanced the compressive strength of the alkali-activated composites. In particular, the B3 mixture (20% class F fly ash, 40% slag) exhibited a balanced set of properties in terms of workability, compressive strength, and high-temperature performance. This study provides a valuable resource for producing alkali-activated composites from CDW and industrial waste, with the potential to reduce the environmental impact of the construction sector.

Keywords

Alkali-activated composites , Ground granulated blast furnace slag , Fly ash , Recycled waste clay brick powder , Recycled waste concrete powder and aggregate

Supporting Institution

Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Ankara University

Project Number

FBG-2024-3246, FBG-2022-2755 and FBG-2022-2699

Thanks

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Ankara University provided under Grant No: FBG-2024-3246, FBG-2022-2755 and FBG-2022-2699.

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