Creep of alkali-activated fly ash and slag concrete: Unveiling multiscale dynamics

Climate change is the main global concern today, triggering a transformative shift in several sectors, especially the construction industry. High carbon emissions during Portland cement (PC) production necessitate a gradual shift toward more environmentally friendly alternatives, such as alkali-activated materials (AAMs). AAMs offer a promising, low-carbon solution for the production of alternative building materials. Introduction of these materials, however, require certification backed by well-documented test results. The widely used EuroCode 2 (EN 1995-1-1) (EC2) for PC concrete currently lacks guidelines for the use of AAC. Experimental data and reliable models for estimating long-term mechanical properties, especially creep and shrinkage phenomena, are still missing. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate creep behaviour of AAC, clarify underlying mechanisms and develop a creep model that takes into account specific microstructural and nanoscale properties of alkali-activated paste....