Vol.26, No.1, 2026, pp. 181–190
https://doi.org/10.69644/ivk-2026-01-0181

Self-compacting geopolymer concrete (SCGPC) is an eco-friendly substitute to traditional Portland cement concrete, known for its lower carbon footprint. This study compares two different types of SCGPC made from fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), and waste ceramic powder (WCP), which are subjected to ambient and oven curing at 60 °C and 80 °C for durations of 24 and 48 hours. The focus has been on the use of WCP in SCGPC, which is essentially industrial waste that can be used in the construction industry. Two batches of SCGPC are prepared: one with 60 % fly ash, 30 % GGBFS, and 10 % WCP (F60G30W10) and another with 70 % fly ash, 30 % GGBFS, and 0 % WCP (F70G30W0). The study investigates the effect of different curing conditions on the fresh state properties, mechanical properties, as well as microstructural characteristics. The results reveal that curing plays a very significant role in enhancing the strength of the SCGPC. In the oven-cured at 80 °C, the compressive strength (CS) of the SCGPC mix F60G30W10 is 33.7 MPa at 28 days, which was 3.37 % higher than that of the oven-cured mix F60G30W0 under similar curing conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses confirm that the SCGPC microstructure improves with oven curing. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows that increased curing temperature and WCP content led to higher intensities of mullite, quartzite, CSH gel, and calcite peaks compared to those observed in composite F70G30W0.

Keywords: • fly ash • geopolymer • ambient curing • oven curing • strength • concrete