Abstract
For the practical applications of fiber-reinforced (FR) geopolymer (GEOP) pastes toward environmental sustainability, it is necessary to upgrade the efficacy of FR-GEOP pastes utilizing micro-fibers and nanoparticles. The current work has endeavored to enhance the mechanical and fracture efficacy of micro-carbon fiber (CF) reinforced GEOP pastes by the addition of different contents of nano-silica (NSI). Four dosages of NSI (1–4%) are used to fabricate GEOP pastes comprising 0.5% micro-CF by weight of the fly ash. For a comparative study, a control paste with 0.5% micro-CF without any dosage of NSI is also manufactured. The average measurements of six examples from each paste are utilized to investigate several fracture, toughness, and mechanical properties of GEOP pastes. The results of the current study displayed that the usage of 3% NSI in micro-carbon-FR-GEOP paste displayed the optimal measurements for mechanical and fracture properties of FR-GEOP paste. Therefore, this quantity of NSI along with 0.5% micro-CF will be the most beneficial for the practical applications of the GEOP paste to develop a sustainable environment.