Pertinency of geopolymer concrete for the Australian construction industry: A broader contextual appraisal

Innovative engineering materials, such as geopolymer concrete, have emerged with the potential to reduce carbon emissions globally and lead to a sustainable concrete industry. Using polymers to supplement or replace Portland cement as a binder, geopolymer concrete exhibits a smaller greenhouse footprint when compared to Portland concrete products. With the appropriate mix design and formulation, the material can offer superior chemical and mechanical characteristics when compared with Portland concrete for several applications at a competitive cost. However, despite the potentially advantageous engineering properties and commercial attributes and the potential benefits of geopolymer concrete, many challenges and obstacles await such as market resistance before this type of concrete can be acknowledged as a conventional building material. As with any revolutionary product, the successful implementation of geopolymer concrete in the Australian construction industry is influenced by a variety of technical, environmental, and commercial factors, that will be investigated in this chapter. The objective of this chapter is to explore the applicability of geopolymer concrete in the Australian construction and engineering industry. It is found that, although geopolymer concrete has been gradually utilized within the Australian construction sector, particularly for high-rise buildings, more encouragement is needed for the general acceptance of geopolymer concrete in the construction sector. Therefore, the main considerations that will contribute to the implementation of more geopolymer concrete usage within the Australian industry, will be investigated.