The current ability to predict the carbonation resistance of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) is incomplete, partly because of widely varying AAM chemistries and variable testing conditions. To identify general correlations between mix design parameters and the carbonation rate of AAMs, RILEM TC 281-CCC Working Group 6 compiled and analysed carbonation data for alkali-activated concretes and mortars from the literature. For comparison purposes, data for blended Portland cement-based concretes with a high percentage of SCMs (≥66% of the binder) were also included in the database. The results show that the water/CaO ratio is not a reliable indicator of the carbonation rate of AAMs. A better indicator of the carbonation rate of AAMs under conditions approximating natural carbonation is their water/(CaO + MgO_eq + Na₂O_eq + K₂O_eq) ratio, where the index ‘eq’ indicates an equivalent amount based on molar masses. This finding can be explained by the CO₂ binding capacity of alkaline-earth and alkali metal ions; the obtained correlation also indicates an influence of the space-filling capability of the binding phases of AAMs, as for conventional cements. However, this ratio can serve only as an approximate indicator of carbonation resistance, as other parameters also affect the carbonation resistance of alkali-activated concretes. In addition, the analysis of the dataset revealed peculiarities of accelerated tests using elevated CO₂ concentrations for low-Ca AAMs, indicating that even at the relatively modest concentration of 1% CO₂, accelerated testing may lead to inaccurate predictions of their carbonation resistance under natural exposure conditions.

The current understanding of the carbonation of alkali-activated concretes is hampered inter alia by the wide range of binder chemistries used. To overcome some of the limitations of individual studies and to identify general correlations between their mix design parameters and carbonation resistance, the RILEM TC 281-CCC working group 6 compiled carbonation data for alkali-activated concretes and mortars from the literature. For comparison purposes, data for blended Portland cement-based concretes with a high percentage of SCMs (≥ 66% of the binder) were also included in the database. A preliminary analysis of the database indicates that w/CaO ratio and w/b ratio exert an influence on the carbonation resistance of alkali-activated concretes but, contrary to what has been reported for concretes based on (blended) Portland cements, these are not good indicators of their carbonation resistance when considered individually. A better indicator of the carbonation resistance of alkali-activated concretes under conditions approximating natural carbonation appears to be their w/(CaO + Na₂O + K₂O) ratio. Furthermore, the analysis points to significant shortcomings of tests at elevated CO₂ concentrations for low-Ca alkali-activated concretes, indicating that even at a concentration of 1% CO₂, the outcomes may lead to inaccurate predictions of the carbonation coefficient under natural exposure conditions.

The results of phase 1 of an interlaboratory test, coordinated by the RILEM TC 267-TRM “Tests for Reactivity of Supplementary Cementitious Materials” showed that the R³ (rapid, relevant, reliable) test method, by measurement of heat release or bound water, provided the most reliable and relevant determination of the chemical reactivity of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), compared to other test methods. The phase 2 work, described in this paper aimed to improve the robustness of the test procedure and to develop precision statements for the consolidated test procedure. The effect of the pre-mixing and mixing conditions, and the impact of the mix design on the test method robustness were assessed and fixed for optimal conditions to carry out the R³ heat release test. The effect of the drying step was evaluated to define the R³ bound water test procedure in more detail. Finally, the robustness of the consolidated final test methods was determined by an interlaboratory study to define the precision statements.