Correction to: Performance Evaluation of Fly Ash and Red Mud as Geopolymer Concrete Precursors for Rigid Pavement Application

The pre-eminence of concrete as the constitutional material used for rigid pavement construction has emanated through the millennia thereby amplifying the concern associated with its adverse effect on the environment. In this context, geopolymer concrete not only proposes a sustainable solution but also addresses the problems associated with extensive industrial waste generation and its imprudent disposal. This study aims to highlight the relevance of fly ash (FA) and red mud (RM) as geopolymer synthesizing source materials for pavement quality concrete (PQC). Investigations were designed to study the effect of varying replacement levels of FA (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) with RM in conjunction with different concentrations of sodium hydroxide in terms of molarity (10 M, 12 M, 14 M). The specimens subjected to ambient curing and oven curing at 60 °C were tested for compressive strength, flexural strength, and split tensile strength. Results portray that in the case of ambient cured FA-RM specimens, the highest compressive strength and flexural strength that could be achieved were 31.5 MPa and 4.32 MPa, respectively. Thereby, indicating inadequate strength development as per the requirements of PQC, even at a higher concentration of sodium hydroxide. Moreover, replacing FA with RM is mostly not effective at replacement values greater than 20% in both compression and tension. Furthermore, a defined study for assessing durability properties was also conducted by immersing the specimens in a 5% sulfuric acid solution. 11.46% and 7.25% reduction in compressive strength of control mixes was observed for specimens corresponding to 10 M and 14 M respectively, thereby substantiating decreased strength loss at higher molarity.