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3D Construction Printing of Coarse Aggregate Cementitious Composite
Vespalec, Arnošt ; Czarnecki, Sławomir (referee) ; Lloret-Fritschi, Ena (referee) ; Koutný, Daniel (advisor)
Today, the construction industry experiencing a period of rapid development. This is resulting in a massive production of greenhouse gas emissions (39% of global CO2 production) and an overexploitation of scarce natural resources leading to inevitable climate change. In this context, cement binders production represents one of the most significant environmental challenges. Despite extensive research being conducted on alternatives to cement, there remains considerable untapped potential in conventional building materials. The situation has led to a paradigm shift in the conventional construction sector, as inventive manufacturing techniques, including automation, are implemented. This predominantly involves additive manufacturing, particularly 3D printing in the construction industry, commonly referred to as 3DCP (3D Construction/ Concrete Print). The dissertation examines the possibilities of using a mixture with coarse aggregate for 3DCP technology. This mixture has the potential to increase production efficiency and reduce the amount of other components, decreasing Portland cement usage and as a result, CO2. The thesis investigates a workability of a mixture containing 8 mm coarse aggregate and its effect on the printing parameters. Finding the optimal combination of process parameters for a mixture using simulation tools can improve its buildability, eliminate the need for a trial-and-error approach and thus rapidly reduce waste. Analysis of the results demonstrates that the mixture containing coarse aggregate exhibits less buildability than the mixture without coarse aggregate. Although the mix containing coarse aggregate exhibited a lower level of rigidity in comparison to the mix without coarse aggregate, the Young's modulus values obtained are similar to those reported in other research dealing with printable "concrete" at early mixture ages. Further investigation using Design of Experiment (DOE) techniques resulted in a combination of 3D printing process parameters (print footprint dimensions, print speed) that were validated by the simulation software Abaqus. The utilisation of these process parameters has resulted in enhanced print stability, thereby improving the buildability of the printed object, and reducing the occurrence of deformation. The mixture containing coarse aggregate effectively diminishes the requirement for additional mix material components by around 16%, resulting in decreased cement consumption and substantial CO2 emissions (equivalent to 52 kg per cubic metre of concrete). These factors, in conjunction with 3D printing technology in the construction industry, contribute to a sustainable approach to industrial production. This research contributes to a greater comprehension of the behaviour of cementitious composites with coarse aggregate sizes of up to 8 mm and their dependence on printing parameters. The findings and outcomes are summarised in three peer-reviewed scientific articles.
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