Title: Rheological Control of 3D Printable Cement Paste and Mortars

Author(s): Scott Jones, Dale Bentz, Nicos Martys, William George, Austin Thomas

Publication: Web Session

Volume: ws_F18_Jones.pdf

Issue:

Appears on pages(s):

Keywords:

DOI:

Date: 10/15/2018

Abstract:
Three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP) is a form of concrete fabrication where a cement-based material is selectively solidified by means of a computer-controlled robotic system. One such approach to 3DCP is called additive construction by extrusion (ACE). Here, a robotic system controls the position and orientation of a nozzle that extrudes cementitious material onto a working surface and the final shape is achieved without the need of temporary structures to contain the material as it hardens. Before the benefits of this technology can be realized, numerous challenges must be addressed, including how to reliably control the setting and rheology of cement-based materials for ACE applications. This study seeks to relate these properties to the printability of two pastes containing cement and limestone. Additionally, a combination of numerical simulations and experimental measurements are used to infer the power law coefficient of the extruded material’s viscosity which is used to control the dosage of a setting accelerator.