STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Each month, or every other month, a student will provide a 1-page illustrated abstract of the research they are currently conducting. This is a wonderful opportunity for the student, for our International Society for Concrete Pavements (ISCP) Members, and for the transferring and sharing technology/research through our concrete paving industry.
The ISCP “STUDENT RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT” for September 2023 is Jitendra Patel, a Ph.D. student at the Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna (Italy).
BIO:
Jitendra Patel is a PhD scholar at Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Italy, specializing in the field of low-carbon cement. With a solid foundation in concrete technology from his Master of Engineering, he has gained valuable experience working extensively with geopolymer concrete, Ultra-thin White-topping, Roller-compacted pavements, Finite Element analysis and microstructural analysis techniques such as SEM and TEM. His passion for sustainable construction drives his research, as he strives to contribute innovative solutions for reducing carbon emissions and advancing eco-friendly building materials and practices.
TITLE:
Structural Behavior of Fly Ash–Based Geopolymer for Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavement
In response to the environmental concerns associated with traditional Portland cement, researchers have developed an alternative solution by introducing fly ash-based geopolymer concrete for roller-compacted concrete pavement. The study focuses on optimizing the mix design to achieve high packing density and zero slump, ensuring enhanced mechanical and rheological properties for roller-compacted geopolymer concrete.
Chemical characterization through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) confirmed the successful formation of geopolymer in the optimized samples. The research involved a stepwise mix design approach, which determined the ideal aggregate proportion and particle-size distribution of the mixed aggregate to achieve high packing density.
A notable contribution of this study is the utilization of the Triangular Packing Model (TPM), illustrated in Figure 1, which enabled the formulation of an optimized roller-compacted geopolymer concrete mix design. This model allowed the researchers to precisely determine the combination of materials that would yield the highest packing density, resulting in improved mechanical properties.
The roller-compacted geopolymer concrete was produced using dry sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and its characteristics were evaluated under different weather conditions such as humidity and temperature. The results showed promising mechanical properties, with a compressive strength of 58 MPa after 28 days under ambient curing, and an improved strength of 61 MPa under thermal curing conditions. Flexural strength and split tensile strength were measured at 5.5 and 4.2 MPa, respectively, while the modulus of elasticity reached 33.10 GPa.
Overall, this study successfully formulated an optimized roller-compacted geopolymer concrete mix design with zero slump using the ternary packing density formulation based on the TPM. The findings hold significant promise for sustainable pavement solutions that address environmental concerns and offer high-performance alternatives to traditional concrete materials.
This research on fly ash-based geopolymer concrete with an optimized mix design for roller-compacted pavement is important for society as it addresses environmental concerns, promotes waste utilization, improves infrastructure performance, reduces construction costs, enhances resilience to weather conditions, and advances sustainable construction practices, contributing to a more eco-friendly and resilient built environment.
ISCP would like to feature a “STUDENT RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT” each month, or every other month. If you would like to nominate a student, or if you are a student and would like to nominate yourself or a colleague, please send ISCP an email to: newsletter@concretepavements.org
ALL SPOTLIGHTS:
DECEMBER 2021—Inaugural: Katelyn Kosar, Phd Student-Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh (Pitt): www.concretepavements.org/2021/12/14/new-at-iscp-student-research-spotlight/
JANUARY 2022: Aniruddha Baral, Ph.D. Candidate-Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign: www.concretepavements.org/2022/01/15/student-research-spotlight-jan-2022/
FEBRUARY 2022: Jordan Ouellet, Tech, BEng, MASc, PhD Candidate, Teaching and Research Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: www.concretepavements.org/2022/02/26/student-research-spotlight-february-2022/
MARCH 2022: Sampath Kumar Pasupunuri, Ph.D. candidate, Pavement Engineering-School of Civil Engineering, University of Nottingham, UK: https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/03/31/student-research-spotlight-march-2022/
APRIL 2022: Anupam B R, Pursuing his doctorate-Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, India: https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/04/15/student-research-spotlight-april-2022
MAY 2022: Andréia Posser Cargnin, Ph.D. Candidate, Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/05/09/student-research-spotlight-may-2022/
JUNE 2022: Charles Donnelly, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/06/24/student-research-spotlight-june-2022/
JULY 2022: Amir Malakooti, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/07/30/student-research-spotlight-july-2022/
AUGUST 2022: Haoran Li, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/08/24/student-research-spotlight-august-2022/
SEPTEMBER 2022: Sumit Nandi, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (Roorkee, India): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/09/18/student-research-spotlight-september-2022/
OCTOBER 2022: Eric Ribeiro da Silva, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil Engineering, Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/10/20/student-research-spotlight-october-2022/
NOVEMBER 2022: Zachary Brody, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/11/18/student-research-spotlight-november-2022/
DECEMBER 2022: Jesús Castro Pérez, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Urbana, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2022/12/17/student-research-spotlight-december-2022/
JANUARY 2023: Dan King, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University (Ames, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/01/26/student-research-spotlight-january-2023/
FEBRUARY 2023: Kathryn Kennebeck, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/02/28/student-research-spotlight-february-2023/
MARCH 2023: Sinan Kefeli, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University (Ames, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/03/13/student-research-spotlight-march-2023/
APRIL 2023: Niwesh Koirala, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas Tech University (Lubbock, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/04/07/student-research-spotlight-april-2023/
MAY 2023: Christian A. Sabillon, Ph.D. Candidate, The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, Texas, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/05/05/student-research-spotlight-may-2023/
JUNE 2023: Saima Yaqoob, Ph.D. Candidate, KTH (the Royal Institutes of Technology) (Stockholm, Sweden): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/06/15/student-research-spotlight-june-2023/
JULY 2023: Ricardo Hungria, Ph.D. Candidate, Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/07/11/student-research-spotlight-july-2023/
AUGUST 2023: Megan Darnell, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, USA): https://www.concretepavements.org/2023/08/07/student-research-spotlight-august-2023/