Citation: Alahmari, T.S.; Abdalla, T.A.; Rihan, M.A.M. Review of Recent Developments Regarding the Durability Performance of Eco-Friendly Geopolymer Concrete. Buildings 2023, 13, 3033. https:// doi.org/10.3390/buildings13123033 Academic Editors: Antonio Caggiano and Binsheng (Ben) Zhang Received: 21 September 2023 Revised: 7 November 2023 Accepted: 13 November 2023 Published: 6 December 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). buildings Review Review of Recent Developments Regarding the Durability Performance of Eco-Friendly Geopolymer Concrete Turki S. Alahmari 1, * , Tareg Abdalla Abdalla 2 and Mohammed Ali M. Rihan 3 1 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 47512, Saudi Arabia 2 Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman HCFX+4RV, Sudan; taregabdalla@oiu.edu.sd 3 Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kordofan, El Obeid 56F6+X8M, Sudan; rihan.mohammed@students.jkuat.ac.ke * Correspondence: talahmari@ut.edu.sa; Tel.: +966-504430284 Abstract: 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. Keywords: abrasion; corrosion; durability properties; fire resistance; freeze–thaw resistance; geopolymer concrete; sodium chloride; sulfate resistance; sulfuric acid; water absorption 1. Introduction Climate change stands as one of humanity’s most pressing and serious challenges. The greenhouse gases released, with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) being of particular concern, primarily fuel the acceleration of climate change [1] and air pollution [2]. The climate and its resources must be protected while environmentally friendly development is promoted [3]. In this modern world, environmental and economic concerns continue to rise regarding tra- ditional concrete-based construction materials. In order to address these challenges, many researchers have been actively involved in the investigation of substitute materials [4]. The global manufacturing of cement is accountable for significant CO 2 emissions, contributing approximately 7–9% of the total CO 2 emissions worldwide [5,6]. Cement, when mixed with water and aggregates, gives rise to cement-based materials such as concrete and stands as the most massively manufactured product on Earth [7–9]. Concrete ranks as the second most widely used material worldwide, trailing only behind potable water in terms of utilization. Its origins can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptian and Roman civilizations [10–12]. It is made and transported with significant CO 2 emissions [13]. The annual production of concrete is approximately 4.4 billion metric tons worldwide, and this figure is projected to rise to 5.5 billion metric tons by 2050 [14,15]. The main ingre- dient utilized in the creation of concrete is ordinary Portland cement (OPC) [16–19]. The Buildings 2023, 13, 3033. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13123033 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/buildings