Rheological characterization of 3D printable light weight concrete

Abstract

Three-dimensional concrete printing is an advanced technique used to create concrete structures in a quick and cost-effective manner using a 3D printer. In 3D printing the material used should be controlled to obtain a printable mix so traditional concrete cannot be directly used. Thus, the aim of this project is to study the rheological properties of a newly developed lightweight concrete mix containing EPS. Slump test and flow table test are used to study the workability of several mixes. In addition, the maximum number of layers printed is used to study the buildability of the mixes. It was found that when EPS sand replacement increases, the workability of the concrete mix increases while the buildability of the mix decreases.