Influence of Reinforcement on the Loading Capacity of Geopolymer Concrete Pipe

Abstract

Geopolymer concrete is emerging as a sustainable construction material due to utilization of industrial by-products, which greatly reduces its carbon footprint. Past studies of the mechanical properties and resistance to sulfuric acid reaction of cement-less geopolymer concrete indicated its suitability for precast concrete pipes over ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete. In the present study, a three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of reinforced concrete pipe was developed using commercial software ANSYS-LSDYNA. The load-carrying capacity of reinforced and non-reinforced geopolymer concrete pipes under the three-edge bearing (TEB) test was investigated and compared with OPC concrete pipes. The results indicated geopolymer concrete with comparable compressive strength to OPC concrete showed higher loading capacity in a pipe structure due to its better tensile performance. The effect of steel reinforcement area on the loading capacity of geopolymer concrete pipes was quantitatively analyzed, and they met the specified strength requirement for OPC concrete in the ASTM standard, with up to 20% reduction in the reinforcement area.