Ductile concrete material for 3D printing

Abstract

This paper presents the experimental results of the mix proportion that could be used for 3D printing of ductile concrete. The concrete was designed to have sufficient compressive strength, flexural strength, and flexural ductility in its hardened state. This purpose of doing so was to ensure that the concrete had sufficient ductility without compromising much on the strength of it. The concrete was also designed to be able to extrude out from an 11mm diameter wide tip to produce concrete cylinders for some periods of time. This was to ensure that the concrete remained printable for a period of time before it hardened. The paper also presents the influence of mineral ad-mixtures and water-to-binder ratio on the fresh and hardened properties of the concrete. An optimum mix would be identified from the experimental results regarding the fresh and hardened properties of the concrete.