Characterizing cement mixtures for concrete 3D printing

The need to automate the construction process for civil infrastructures has been ceaselessly propelled by the reported number of detrimental site accidents, enormous time, and material wastages in current labor-intensive approaches. Additive 3D printing could revolutionize the construction-site. Notable advantages of concrete 3D printing include wider build customizability, safer work ambiance, reduced construction time and cost. The major challenge in concrete printing is to identify and maintain the mixture characteristics suitable for printing and stacking up in layers. In this study, ready-to-print fresh cementitious mixtures with silica fume and superplasticizer were characterized for printability based on their rheological properties. (C) 2020 Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.