Durability of concrete with alkali-activated materials, a short literature review

Abstract

Alkali-activated materials are considered the most promising alternative to Portland cement in making the concrete industry more environmentally friendly by reducing CO2 emissions. However, these alternative binders face challenges, particularly related to durability. This work presents a brief literature review on the durability of concrete produced using alkali-activated binders. The mechanisms of degradation are discussed, namely steel corrosion, carbonation, acid attack, permeability, porosity, and capillarity. Comparison to typical concrete that uses Portland cement as a binder is common.