Comparison of physical and physicochemical methods for 3D printing application with the focus on the unconfined uniaxial compression test

Abstract

For a commercial success of 3D concrete printing, standardisation is necessary to enable industrial production. To select methods for standardisation from the material side, detailed knowledge of suitable methods and of material behaviour is required in advance. Therefore, this study aims to compare different methods for investigating stiff printable mortars during the transition regime of a non-Newtonian fluid to a cohesive frictional material by physical and physicochemical methods focusing on the unconfined uniaxial compression test. The study shows that all methods exhibit comparable progressions, although the results are affected differently by self-heating, material composition and progressive hydration.