Three-dimensional printing of concrete using SCMs

This work calls for employing concrete to decrease the cost of printing and to enable steel reinforcement. In addition, the work proposes to integrate supplementary cementitious materials in the concrete mixes to further reduce the cost and improve the quality of concrete needed for printing. The main process control parameter in 3-D printing with concrete materials is the yield stress. 3-D printing depends strongly on the yield stress value and its evolution with time. The proposed research focuses on frictional contact between the aggregates and how vibration can be used as a printing control parameter, as it has been demonstrated that vibration decreases yield stress. Concrete parameters include the aggregate size, different SCMs types and ratios, and paste properties. The proposed project will investigate in detail the change in concrete mixes and build a prototype for a 3-D printer to evaluate the printability of the material. The proposed project is the first step in this grand scheme, investigating the response of concrete materials to vibration, laying the basis for larger research proposals and activities. The total budget sought is 80,500 SR