Fast Penetration Testing of Printable Concretes with a Portable Device (2026-01)¶

Concrete 3D printing demands rheological control tools tailored to this emerging construction technology. Conventional rheometry is often unsuitable for routine monitoring in industrial environments. This study investigates the use of a fast penetration test with a portable device as a simple, effective method to evaluate yield stress and structuration rate of printable concretes. Emphasis is placed on robustness, assessed through measurement variability rather than absolute values. Tests on clay-based reference pastes identify probe geometries minimizing operator influence and data dispersion. Probe and sample size effects are also examined. Calibration on reference pastes establishes geometry-specific conversion factors between penetration force and yield stress. These factors are then used to monitor yield stress evolution in printed concrete, with results compared to those from a pocket vane test. Findings indicate that the fast penetration method yields more robust, consistent measurements, supporting its suitability for rheological quality control in concrete 3D printing.