Reinforced geopolymer composites for enhanced material greenness and durability

The environmental impact of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) is significant because its production emits large amounts of CO2. Further, OPC durability is limited largely due to inherent brittleness. This review examines the environmental and economic impacts of OPC. Using supplementary cementitious materials to enhance material greenness or produce alternative binders such as geopolymers is discussed. This is followed by a review of recent efforts to increase durability through fiber reinforcement. Finally, the current state of the art of geopolymer composites (with both high material greenness and high durability) is discussed along with opportunities and challenges for these promising materials. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.