3D Printing of Fiber-Reinforced Calcined Clay-Limestone-Based Cementitious Materials: From Mixture Design to Printability Evaluation

Sustainability and limitations in embedded reinforcement are the main obstacles in digital fabrication with concrete. This study proposed a 3D printable fiber-reinforced calcined clay-limestone-based cementitious material (FR-LC3). The binder systems incorporating calcined clay (CC) and limestone filler (LF) were optimized by determining the flow characteristics and water retention ability of the paste. The effect of fiber volume on the key fresh and mechanical properties of the fiber-reinforced mortars made with the optimized binder was evaluated. A combination of offline assessments and inline printing were employed to investigate the printability of the FR-LC3 with various binder systems and viscosity-modifying admixture (VMA) dosages. The results revealed that the binary system with 20% CC and the ternary system containing 30% CC and 15% LF were highly advantageous, with enhanced packing density, robustness, and water retention ability. Incorporating 2% 6-mm steel fiber contributed to the highest 28-day compressive and flexural strengths and toughness without significantly compromising the fluidity. Finally, the developed FR-LC3 mixtures were successfully printed using an extrusion-based 3D printer. The LF addition in the ternary system decreased the maximum buildable height of a single-wall printed object while reducing the SP/VMA ratio significantly increased the height due to enhanced yield stress and thixotropy.

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