Geopolymer concrete durability subjected to aggressive environments – A review of influence factors and comparison with ordinary Portland cement

Abstract Although ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is the main raw material of concrete, its production pollutes the atmosphere and wastes a large amount of energy, which does not meet the demands of the green building industry development. Geopolymers have received considerable attention and expected to become a substitute for OPC. However, the geopolymer concrete has limited literature of durability subjected to aggressive environments, and which is the basis for the prediction of long-term performance and broader engineering applications. This paper reviews the recent researches on geopolymer concrete exposed to carbonation, acid corrosion, sulfate solution, heat temperature, and chloride penetration comparison with OPC concrete. In many cases, the durability of geopolymer concrete is better than OPC concrete, and calcium content has a great effect on the durability mechanism. The influence factors and interactions of durability of geopolymer concrete have been highlight. Finally, a few potential opportunities and noteworthy challenges have been suggested for future studies on durability during life-cycle periods.