The 21st century has witnessed a substantial increase in the demand for construction materials, mainly influenced by the growing population. This increase in demand has resulted in higher prices for these materials and has also placed considerable burdens on environmental resources, prompting the search for eco-friendly and economically viable alternatives such as geopolymer materials to replace traditional materials like cement. The benefits of geopolymer materials as substitutes for cement in concrete extend beyond their exceptional durability. Initially, geopolymer was introduced to address the environmental impact arising from carbon dioxide emissions and the substantial consumption of fossil fuels through the production of cement. The current review investigates recent advances regarding the durability characteristics of geopolymer materials. This includes aspects such as water absorption, temperature resistance, sulfuric acid resistance, sulfate resistance, chloride ion penetration, and freeze–thaw resistance, among others. The results of this review highlight geopolymer concrete’s enhanced durability over traditional cement-based concrete. Furthermore, this review offers recommendations and outlines potential research avenues for further exploration of geopolymer concrete.

Incorporation solid waste generated in industry into concrete production is considered an environmentally sustainable approach as it reduces pollution, lowers energy consumption, and mitigates the depletion of natural resources. Copper slag (CS) is a residual material produced through the copper smelting process. The slag materials are kept in expansive landfills and consume substantial land space. The typical approaches for managing CS involve recycling, metal recovery, and the creation of additional value through the manufacturing of items, including but not limited to railroad ballast, abrasive tools, cutting tools, roofing granules, abrasive tiles, glass, asphalt surfaces, and foundations for road construction. This study aimed to evaluate the mechanical strength and microstructural properties of concrete, focusing on using CS as a substitute for fine aggregate. This review systematically analyzes its use in concrete production over the last two decades. For the review, data were collected from various publishers, which are peer‐reviewed articles, and validated using databases like Scopus, Scimago journal and country rank (SJR), Web of Science, etc. This review concluded that the potential of utilizing CS as a workable alternative for fine aggregate is highly attractive, given its superior performance in mortar and concrete mixes when compared to mixes without CS.

Using ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in concrete has significant environmental and sustainability concerns. Notably, in the production of OPC, large volumes of greenhouse gases are produced, which contribute to global warming, and large amounts of natural raw materials are used, which can lead to the depletion of nonrenewable resources with time. In addition, OPC production is highly energy‐intensive. To mitigate these concerns, it has become common practice to reduce the amount of OPC used in concrete production by partially replacing OPC with a supplementary cementitious material (SCM). Most of the SCMs used have pozzolanic properties and react with free lime in OPC to provide more cementitious material, which increases the long‐term strength of concrete and also densifies the pore structure, resulting in improved durability in harsh environments. This study explored the effect of OPC on the resistance to sulfuric acid attack and drying shrinkage when OPC is partially replaced by processed bagasse ash (PBA) at dosages of up to 50%, together with 5% silica fume. Both materials are pozzolanic and are expected to react with free lime in OPC concrete to increase the strength and densify the concrete; however, with increased PBA dosage, the cement is diluted, and a reduction in strength can be expected. This study explores the benefits that can be realized, focusing primarily on sulfuric acid resistance and the reduction of drying shrinkage.