Mixture Design for Lightweight Geopolymer Concrete

Lightweight concrete (LWC) finds wide-ranging applications in the construction industry due to its reduced dead load, good fire resistance, and low thermal and acoustic conductivity. Lightweight geopolymer concrete (LWGC) is an emerging type of concrete that is garnering attention in the construction industry for its sustainable and eco-friendly properties. LWGC is produced using geopolymer binders instead of cement, thereby reducing the carbon footprint associated with conventional concrete production. However, the absence of standard codes for geopolymer concrete restricts its widespread application. To address this limitation, an investigation focused on developing a new mixture design for LWGC by modifying the existing ACI 211.2-98 provisions has been carried out. In this study, crucial parameters of LWGC, such as alkaline-binder ratio (A/B), molarity, silicate/hydroxide ratio, and curing temperature, were established using machine learning techniques. As a result, a simple and efficient method for determining the mixture proportions for LWGC has been proposed. Keywords: geopolymer; lightweight aggregates; lightweight concrete (LWC); mixture design.