A rheological-based printability assessment method for 3D printing Engineered Cementitious Composites considering fiber dispersion

Abstract

3D concrete printing (3DCP) presents unique challenges in optimizing rheological properties of concrete mixture, while tailoring the rheology of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) for 3D printing (3DP-ECC) is more intricate due to the added complexity of fiber dispersion. This study proposes an innovative printability evaluation method specifically designed for 3DP-ECC, which takes into account the impact of fiber dispersion while also emphasizing cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Additionally, the proposed method enables the calculation of the printable open time, thus adjusting the mixing time of the ECC paste. The feasibility of the proposed method was verified through actual printing test and rheological test, and experimental results showed good agreement with theoretical results. The tensile performance of 3DP-ECC was also investigated, providing further validation for the proposed methodology.

Keywords

• 3D printing
• Fiber dispersion
• Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC)
• Printability
• Rheological theory