Properties of 3D Printed Concrete-Geopolymer Hybrids Reinforced with Aramid Roving

Three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP) is an innovative technology that can lead to breakthrough modifications of production processes in the construction industry. The paper presents for the first time the possibility of 3D printing concrete-geopolymer hybrids reinforced with aramid roving. Reference concrete samples and concrete-geopolymer hybrids composed of 95% concrete and 5% geopolymer based on fly ash or metakaolin were produced. The properties of the samples without reinforcement and samples with 0.5% (wt.) aramid roving were compared. The frost resistance tests, UV radiation resistance, and thermal conductivity were evaluated for samples that were 3D-printed or produced by the conventional casting method. Compressive strength tests were carried out for each sample exposed to freeze-thaw cycles and UV radiation. It was observed that after the frost resistance test, the samples produced by the 3D printing technology had a minor decrease in strength properties compared to the samples made by casting. Moreover, the thermal conductivity coefficient was higher for concrete-geopolymer hybrids than concrete reinforced with aramid roving.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the potential of using 3D printing technology to produce concrete-geopolymer hybrids reinforced with aramid roving, and compares the performance of samples in terms of frost resistance, UV radiation resistance, and thermal conductivity. The results show that 3D-printed samples had slightly decreased strength properties after frost resistance tests compared to samples made by conventional casting, and concrete-geopolymer hybrids had higher thermal conductivity coefficient than concrete reinforced with aramid roving.