Use of Hemp Fibres in 3D Printed Concrete

Abstract

The use of fibres as reinforcement of 3D printed concrete is widely known and applicable in many situations. However, most of the applied fibres are not produced from renewable resources. Natural fibres are commonly considered as an ecological alternative for these fibres. In order to contribute to improvement of the sustainability of 3D printed concrete, natural fibres such as hemp can replace these synthetic fibres. The objective of this study is therefore to study the possibilities of adding hemp fibres for 3D printing purposes. Due to the comparable properties of hemp and synthetic fibres, natural fibres tend to be suitable for printing purposes. Mixes are made at laboratory scale using batches of 1 – 3 kg. The study examines the effect of adding hemp fibres for the mechanical and fresh state properties of hemp-based concrete. Mechanical properties from bending tests and direct tensile tests show comparable properties of mortars containing hemp fibres and mortars containing synthetic fibres. The fresh state behaviour of the designed concrete mix showed promising and comparable results for a mix based on 0.5wt% of hemp fibres. One of the major issues regarding the use of natural fibres is the irregularity and high water uptake of the fibres. Due to its high hydrophilicity natural hemp fibres take up much water and can therefore degrade. For this study the effect of water uptake did not have much influence on the mixing and printing purposes. By printing a wall element on laboratory scale the use of hemp fibre-reinforced 3D concrete is validated.