Chenmeng Zhang

This project aims to study the performance of high-performance alkali-activated materials (HPAAMs) reinforced with dispersed fibres, including workability, rheology, and mechanical properties. Compared with conventional concrete, AAMs that include fly ash, silica fume, slags, kaolins, and alkali activators, produce 80% fewer carbon emissions during production and transportation. Recycled tyre steel fibres (RTSF) can be applied as partial replacement of constituent material, which can also improve the tensile strength of concrete. To understand the performance of AAMs, both lab tests and simulations of the performance of structural members and sustainability assessments will be implemented. The nonlinear simulations will analyse the data from structural tests to understand the response of beams with optimised AAMs. Sustainability assessments will be implemented based on existing standards and a collated database to calculate the carbon emission of concrete with different ingredients.