Effect of Interlayer Time-Lapse and Workability Retention on Printed Concrete Performance
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35, Issue 10
Abstract
The rapid advancement of additive manufacturing technologies for concrete construction requires further understanding of material performance and its relationship with print parameters such as interlayer time-lapse and workability retention during the print. This study addresses the effects of the time delay between consecutive extruded layers on the mechanical performance of printed concrete using a mix designed by Quikrete. A series of specimens were prepared with printing delays of 10, 15, 30, and 60 min. This work correlates the change in fracture properties, mechanical performance, and workability retention with the interlayer time-lapse between two consecutive concrete layers. Interlayer time-lapse is defined as the time difference in printing of two consequent layers of concrete. It affects individual properties differently based on the loading direction and test types, but it is consistent in terms of interlayer performance. The understanding of the effect of interlayer time-lapse on the fracture properties between two consecutive printed layers fills the knowledge gaps in printed concrete research. Therefore, this study can help researchers perform required optimization and safely estimate the performance of printed concrete.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all of the data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the DOE Additive Manufacturing Office under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle LLC via Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Tennessee. The authors would like to express their gratitude to Bin Tian and Anup Deb from Quikrete for developing the printable mix design and graciously providing the materials used in this research. The print nozzle was additively manufactured in the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35 • Issue 10 • October 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 15, 2022
Accepted: Mar 14, 2023
Published online: Jul 27, 2023
Published in print: Oct 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Dec 27, 2023
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