13. Conclusions and the Future of Alkali Activation Technology

The key outcome of RILEM TC 224-AAM has been the development of a conceptual framework from which the discussion of standardisation of alkali-activated binders and concretes can proceed. There has been agreement from the members of the TC that a performance-based approach to both materials formulation (as described in Chap. 7 of this report) and testing (as outlined in Chaps. 8,9, and 10) is essential in enabling the scale-up of alkali-activation as a method of concrete production in the global context. However, it is essential to proceed with a degree of conservatism, to avoid becoming ‘the next high-alumina cement problem’ through use of a material in environments and/or systems where it is not fit for purpose. So, it is critical that standards development is conservative to ensure that due care is taken, and to make sure that poor-quality AAM products, and/or products used in unsuitable applications, do not ruin the global reputation of the technology. A key discussion which occupied much of the time of the TC was the issue of how to achieve this – and the conclusion reached was that the use of strict performance criteria (and maybe even criteria which seem excessively strict until a higher degree of certainty regarding performance levels can be reached), and with good scientific foundations, must underpin any testing method applied to these materials.