High-performance geopolymer concrete: a review of recent developments

High-performance geopolymer concrete (HPGC) is an advanced construction material designed for enhanced strength, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. Based on aluminosilicate precursors activated by alkaline solutions, HPGC offers notable advantages over conventional Portland cement concrete. This review synthesizes recent global and Vietnamese studies on HPGC, addressing its constituent materials, mix design, fresh and mechanical properties, durability, environmental impact assessment, microstructure, and potential applications. Industrial by-products such as fly ash, slag, rice husk ash, silica fume, and metakaolin are commonly used in various proportions with alkali activators. HPGC typically shows greater workability, viscosity, and cohesion than traditional concrete. Its compressive strength ranges from 50 to 91 MPa and can exceed 130 MPa under thermal curing, with rapid strength gain supporting faster construction. In terms of durability, HPGC exhibits low permeability and strong resistance to acid, sulfate, and steel corrosion, especially in marine environments. It also offers a significant reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional concrete. In Vietnam, research on HPGC is still limited but shows promising potential for marine infrastructure applications.