Sustainable Performance of Glass Powder and Fly Ash in Concrete: A Review

Development of sustainable construction materials has been the viewpoint of research efforts worldwide in recent years. Concrete is a major construction material used worldwide; hence, finding alternative cementitious materials to ordinary Portland cement is of extreme importance due to high levels of carbon foot print associated with its manufacturing process. In the past few decades, many researches have been carried out on the use of glass powder and fly ash in concrete. Due to the good execution and environmental affability, fly ash and glass powder based construction materials have great potential as alternatives to ordinary Portland cement. This paper reviews the previous findings on the effects of using fly ash and glass powder with a particular focus on recent advances in characterization, hydration mechanism, activation approaches, durability and sustainability of fly ash and glass powder as a construction material. Such effects are mainly influenced by many factors, including the particle size and optimum content of the cementitious materials, The use of high volume fly ash as a partial replacement of cement in concrete reduces environmental pollution and conserves natural subsistence.