Mechanical performance and permeability of low-carbon printable concrete

Abstract

Common issues in 3D printed concrete arise due to its high cement content, processing requirements, and the lack of extensive research into its long-term performance. To this end, this study explores using supplementary cementitious materials from local regions to partially replace cement, aiming at reducing the carbon footprint. Various printable mixtures with different substitution rates are formulated, and corresponding mechanical and permeability tests are conducted. It is revealed that the compressive and flexural strengths of 3D printed concrete with low cement content were lower than the strength of cast concrete due to the construction process of printed concrete; the mechanical strength of 3D printed concrete showed prominent anisotropic characteristics. It was found that, compared with the other two sets of ratios, the higher contents of FA and GGBFS could effectively fill the pores of the printed concrete. Both the capillary water absorption and the content of chloride ions of the low-carbon mixture were significantly lower than that of the pure cement-printed specimens.