Strength and durability studies of geopolymer mortars with the partial replacement of fly ash and rice husk ash - ANN based approach

The strength and durability of geopolymer mortars with fly ash and rice husk ash (FA-RHA) (0 to 20%) mixed with polypropylene fibers (0 to 0.3%) were examined in this work through an experimental investigation. The mortar specimen's strength properties were assessed using flexural and uniaxial compressive strength tests. In contrast, tests for water absorption, sorptivity, and corrosion resistance to acids (10% concentration of H2SO4) were used to evaluate its durability attributes. Though there was a noticeable improvement in flexural behavior when PP fiber was added up to 0.3% by volume, the testing results showed that this addition had no meaningful effect on compressive strength. The maximum compressive strength values, measuring 62 MPa, were obtained by The M5 and M8 geopolymer mortars prepared using a 10 M sodium hydroxide solution concentration. The strength of the geopolymer mortar reduces when 20% rice husk ash is added. Due to its mechanical and durability properties, FA-RHA mixed geopolymer mortar was discovered by research and experimentation and was used to create the ANN architecture. The ANN framework's projected strength values for the durability and mechanical tests match the trial findings. Geopolymer mortar offers a great deal of promise for structural element restoration, and the application of this mortar for these repairs may be studied further.