## 2 Experimental Program, Materials, Mix Designs, Mix Preparation, and Test Methods
### Materials  
The AAEC mixes were prepared using two combinations of FA and GGBFS as source materials. The binary (designated as B) AAEC mixes were prepared by mixing high-calcium FA type C (FA-C) and GGBFS, whereas the ternary ones (designated as T) were developed by mixing high-calcium FA type C (FA-C), low-calcium FA type F (FA-F), and GGBFS. The rationales for selecting these industrial waste-based source materials are a reduction in CO\({}_{2}\) emissions and an improvement in the properties of AAEC (particularly strength) due to the resulting high calcium and considerable amount of silicate contents. A high-range water reducer admixture (HRWRA) was required to ensure flowable AAM mixes. A polycarbonate ether-based HRWRA with a solid content of 40%, pH of 6, and specific gravity of 1.06 g/cm\({}^{3}\) was used. Silica sand with a maximum particle size of 600u was used as the fine aggregate. The MgO used in this study was prepared by burning MgO\({}_{3}\) for two hours at 900 \({}^{\circ}\)C, and was classified as lightly burnt [22]. The AAEC mixes were prepared by reinforcement with 1.2% oil-coated polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers. The PVA fibers were approximately 8 mm in length and 39 um in diameter and could impart strain-hardening characteristics with multiple micro crack formations. The physical properties and chemical compositions (as per the X-ray fluorescence spectrometer 'XRF' analysis) of the FAs, GGBFS, silica sand, and MgO are presented in Table 1, with gradations shown in Figure 1.  
As per the dry mix technique [60, 61], two combinations of different alkaline reagents (obtained from Westlab Canada) were used in powder form to prepare two types of high-calcium-based activators to activate the source materials. Activator type 1 was prepared by mixing calcium hydroxide (CaOH\({}_{2}\) with specific gravity = 2.24 and pH = 12.4-12.6) with sodium meta silicate (Na\({}_{2}\)SiO\({}_{3}\cdot\)5H\({}_{2}\)O with modular ratio, SiO\({}_{2}\)/Na\({}_{2}\)O = 1, specific gravity = 0.7, pH = 11.3) in a ratio of 1:2.5 (Ca(OH)\({}_{2}\)Na\({}_{2}\)SiO\({}_{3}\cdot\)5H\({}_{2}\)O = 1:2.5), and the modular ratio (SiO\({}_{2}\)/Na\({}_{2}\)O) of this mixture was 3.22. Activator type 2 was prepared by combining calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)\({}_{2}\)) and sodium sulfate (Na\({}_{2}\)SO\({}_{4}\) with specific gravity = 2.70 and pH = 7) beads/powder in a ratio of 2:5.1 (Ca(OH)\({}_{2}\):Na\({}_{2}\)SO\({}_{4}\)). The physical and chemical properties of both activator combinations are listed in Table 1[59, 60, 61]. Two different carbon-based nanomaterials (MWCNTs and rGO) were incorporated at different dosages within the AAEC mixes as conductive and self-sensing agents. MWCNTs are hollow and cylindrically shaped carbon allotropes with high aspect ratios. They usually consist of layers of rolled concentric nanotubes and walls of multiple one-atom-thick sheets of carbon. The MWCNTs had a diameter of 20-30 nm, length of 10-30 \(\upmu\)m, Blaine fineness of 110 m\({}^{2}\)/g, density of 1.2 g/cm\({}^{3}\), electrical conductivity greater than 10\({}^{-2}\) s/cm, and purity of 95% or more, containing less than 1.5% ash by weight per the supplier Cheaptubes Inc. (Grafton, VT, USA) [62]. rGO usually undergoes a reduction process, following the microwave technique, after its production. This process aids in removing functional groups, which promotes dispersion and restores the carbon structure. rGO consists of randomly