Printability, Mechanical and Thermal Performance Study of Sustainable Concrete Lattice Structures

Abstract

Concrete 3D printing (3DCP) is an advanced construction technology that uses additive manufacturing technique to build structures layer by layer, offering greater precision, reduced waste, and design flexibility compared to traditional methods using formwork. Despite these advantages, 3DCP faces significant challenges that must be addressed to enhance its sustainability and functionality. 3D printable concrete typically requires no coarse aggregate, higher cement paste volume and induce significant embodied carbon. The usage of fine aggregates, often sourced from natural river sand causes ecological damage, including habitat destruction and biodiversity loss. Consequently, there is an urgent need for the development of low carbon 3DCP mixes by utilizing local materials and industrial wastes. The material as well as 3D printed structure design can be tailored for improving fresh, hardened and functional properties such as thermal conductivity, which perfectly align with the growing demand for sustainable and functional structures in the built environment. The main objective of this research is three-fold: (1) development and characterization of 3D printable sustainable mortar mixes using two steel industry by-products such as Portland slag cement and slag sand (2) exploring flexural response of 3D printed concrete structures with different lattice configurations and (3) an accurate steady-state approach for comprehension of thermal performance of lattice infilled 3D printed concrete walls.