Investigating the long-term behavior of creep and drying shrinkage of ambient-cured geopolymer concrete

This study pioneers the exploration of creep and shrinkage behavior in ambient-cured geopolymer concrete (GPC), a vital yet under-researched area in concrete technology. Focusing on the influence of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution concentration, the research utilizes low calcium fly ash (Class-F) and alkaline solutions to prepare two sets of GPC. The results show distinct patterns in compressive strength development and dry shrinkage reduction, with a 14 M NaOH solution demonstrating a 26.5% lower dry shrinkage than the 16 M solution. The creep behavior indicated a high initial strain within the first 7 days, significantly influenced by curing conditions and NaOH concentration. This study contributes to the existing knowledge by providing a deeper understanding of the time-dependent properties of GPC, which is crucial for optimizing its performance in structural applications.