No abstract

3D printing techniques have recently received a lot of attention as a new technique for forming construction materials, due to benefits over the traditional cast. In this research, ordinary Portland cement (OPC) paste was formed using a 3D extruder. Optimized mixture and printing parameters were determined. Compressive strengths of the printed and the traditionally casted OPC paste were measured after the specimens were cured in saturated limewater for 7, 14 and 28 days, respectively. The result led to the conclusion that the most suitable mixture for printing was achieved at the water to cement ratio of 0.35 with water reducing and retarding admixture added. The optimum printing parameters were the printing speed of 60 mm/min and the feed rate of 120 ml/s. Compressive strength of the 5 x 5 x 5 cm3 hollowed and filled cubic printed specimens, were compared with casted cement paste. The strengths of both the printed and the casted specimens were higher with longer curing durations. The highest levels of strength were achieved at 12.36 MPa on the printed specimens and 80.88 MPa when testing the casted samples.