Investigation of Fresh Properties of 3D Concrete Printing Containing Nano-Clay in Forms of Suspension and Powder (2022-08)¶

Cement-based additive manufacturing technologies, also known as 3D concrete printing (3DCP), have been under development for more than a decade and many research organisations in academia and the construction sector are now associated with the development of this technology. The present study reveals the feasibility of employing nanoclay both in powder and in of water for 3D concrete printing applications. Because the quality and viability of 3DCP are dependent on how well the nanoclay is dispersed during mixing, a comparison of these two techniques of adding the nanoclay is undertaken in this study. Fresh-state properties of concrete can be tuned to suit the demands of 3D concrete printing, such as shape stability after printing, and ease of pumping and extrusion via a nozzle, by targeting high static yeld stress and high fluidity. To assess the effect of the on fresh and rheological performance over time, a flow table test and cylindrical slump test were used to measure flowability and static yield stress of a cementitious mortar blend containing fly ash, Portland cement, basalt fiber, and a polycarboxylate superplasticizer.