Numerical Studies on GGBS–Dolomite Geopolymer Concrete Short Columns

In recent years, Geopolymer Concrete (GPC) is gaining popularity as a greener construction material compared to conventional concrete which is made up of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Many studies have been conducted on fly ash and GGBS-based geopolymer concrete. The use of GGBS and dolomite to form GPC will increase the workability of concrete. In addition to this, the overall cost is also expected to come down as dolomite is a cheaper industrial waste. Since the strength development mechanism of GPC is different from that of OPC binder, it is necessary to obtain a suitable constitutive model to predict the load–deflection behaviour and strength of GPC structural members. The aim of this paper is to predict the behaviour of short columns subjected to axial load using ANSYS, a commercially available finite element software. The analysis determines the displacement, stresses, strains and forces at any point under different boundary conditions. The deflection, ultimate load and crack pattern have been determined from the model.